Bill Shorten announces Morrison Government's position on Integrity Commission to Parliament
Monday, 26 November 2018
Shorten enters the chamber to announce what the government's policy will be.
The Liberals can't even manage their own backflips - they've now outsourced it to Labor.
Here's Samantha Maiden writing in The New Daily.
In the biggest backflip since the Turnbull government agreed to support a royal commission into the banks, Monday’s move followed threats by Coalition MP Llew O’Brien to cross the floor and vote with Labor to legislate the reform.
Just after midday, Labor leader Bill Shorten announced the policy reversal to a near empty chamber on the government benches, accusing the Prime Minister of being dragged “fingernails on the concrete” to the decision.
Mr Shorten said the commission should have the “powers of the royal commission”, including to compel witnesses and seize documents.
“I welcome today the Liberal and National government reversing their previous opposition to a national anti-corruption commission,” he said.
“Now, of course, Australians do have the right to ask how sincerely and strongly the Prime Minister believes in the national integrity commission or if he’s just protecting his job?
“It should not have taken the fear of losing a vote on the floor of the Parliament to be dragged, fingernails on the concrete, into the chamber to endorse … a national integrity commission.”
ENDS
Over the weekend, The Australia Institute published this open letter from 34 Judges.