Most Australians want federal anticorruption body’s hearings to be more open, poll suggests
A majority of Australians support expanding the use of public hearings under a national anti-corruption commission (Nacc) beyond the “exceptional circumstances” benchmark set by the government, according to new polling.
It comes ahead of the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, addressing the National Press Club on Wednesday, where he wias expected to say he believed “the government has got this bill right”, even as parliament’s crossbench calls for greater powers to hold public hearings and investigate third parties.
Dreyfus suggested the Nacc would help address declining trust in government caused by the weaponisation of disinformation by politicians, and admitted the corruption body could target the Labor government that set it up.
Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning
“Australians deserve a government that is prepared to be held to account – a government prepared to have wrongdoing exposed, even when there is a political price to pay,” he planned to tell the press club, according to speech notes.
The Australia Institute, a progressive thinktank, surveyed 1,003 Australians about the Nacc, with 84% backing public hearings and 67% calling for those to be held in more open circumstances than that proposed by the government.
The current legislation states public hearings can be held only if the commissioner decides it would be “in the public interest” and that “exceptional circumstances justify” doing so. The Greens and numerous independent crossbenchers complained this bar was too high, and could effec
tively make public hearings impossible.
The Australia Institute’s polling found 32% backed public hearings when it was in the public interest, and another 35% supported unlimited public hearings. Only 17% backed limiting public hearings to the circumstances the government has specified, while just 3% opposed public hearings entirely.
“An amendment to remove the ‘exceptional circumstances’ restriction would be broadly supported, including across all voting intentions, according to the quantitative research,” said the institute’s democracy and accountability program director, Bill Browne.
Parliamentary hearings on the Nacc are due to start next week, with fullday meetings expected to be held from 18 to 22 October. Witness lists have not yet been released for the hearings, but Guardian Australia understands some crossbenchers may push for further hearings to be scheduled beyond next week. However, the short deadline for reporting – with a final report due on 10 November – may stymie that.
Dreyfus was set in coming days to meet with parliamentary crossbenchers who have raised concerns about the Nacc’s scope and powers. Several crossbench members plan to reiterate their criticisms through the inquiry process, including voicing suggestions around public hearings, oversight and government funding of the commission.
The attorney general was expected to tell the National Press Club that he welcomed the contributions of integrity experts and fellow parliamentarians, but suggest the government was happy with its version of the bill.
“I believe the government has got this bill right. But I’m prepared to listen to other views, because I want the parliament to enact the best possible anti-corruption commission,” Dreyfus was to say, according to an advance copy of his speech, distributed by his office.
He was to say he was keenly interested in the views of his colleagues, but would call on the parliament to “not lose sight” of why the integrity body was needed.
“In recent years there has been a significant erosion of trust between voters and politicians. Some of the reasons for that are global – most notably, the rise of disinformation and the exploitation of it by public figures for political gain,” Dreyfus was to say. “But a lot of the damage was done here, at home, by the former government.
“Voters were not credited with the intelligence and respect they deserve. Promises were made and never delivered. Questions from journalists were treated like an annoyance. Basic standards of accountability were pushed aside.
“The new Labor government has a big job to do. We must repair the damage and restore trust in government.”
Coalition and Labor politicians have, publicly and privately, voiced concerns about MPs becoming embroiled in corruption probes. Dreyfus will flag that possibility in his speech.
“It is my hope that simply by doing its job, the national anti-corruption commission will make government better,” he was expected to say.
“Our aim is to create a lasting body – one that not only causes our government to be better, but all future governments to be better too. Integrity should be above partisan politics.
“The Australian people delivered a clear message at the last election – something is broken and they want it fixed.”