As the battle over party financing heats up before the October 16 election, at least there seems to be agreement that the ACT needs some kind of anti-corruption commission to ensure transparency into the future.
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Both ACT Labor and the Canberra Liberals have come under fire for accepting donations from property developers in recent months. As far back as July it was revealed the Liberals had also received monies from NSW property developers. In NSW, property developers are banned from donating to political parties.
That Labor has promised to ban such donations and investigate the public funding of campaigns if it is re-elected seems somewhat incongruous. The ACT Greens have called Labor out saying if it is serious about such reforms it should return all of the money it has received over the past two years.
It seems a case of Labor wanting to have their cake and eat it too, and then banning anyone else from eating cake once the party is over.
Liberals leader Jeremy Hanson has said his party is open to donation reform, which is very open-ended and non-committal; he has said his priority was the creation of a NSW-style Independent Commission Against Corruption.
The ACT and the Northern Territory are the only places without an independent corruption commission in place at present; the new Labor government in the Northern Territory has promised to set one up.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr wants an ACT Integrity Commissioner, who, with the help of a team of "special investigators" – one can't but help think of Sean Connery and his team of Untouchables – will look into serious breaches of public sector integrity.
Integrity is such an interesting word in politics. All political parties, in electorates all over the world, perhaps as far back as the Roman Forum, where aurei (gold coins) greased the palms of toga clad senators, say they stand for it.
Mr Barr, just this week, said the changes would "increase transparency, accountability and integrity in government".
Mr Hanson said "integrity in government is non-negotiable and it is a fundamental requirement".
ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury has said the creation of a commission would ensure transparency and ensure trust was restored in government.
And perhaps that is the question, voters want to be able to trust their government, be able to put their faith in the men and women they have voted for.
But have electorates become too cynical to believe that this can ever be the case?
Whatever happens in the election it is likely there will be some kind of independent anti-corruption commission and that in itself is a much-needed move.
Mr Hanson has suggested that a Canberra body, with perhaps eight to 10 staff, might cost $1.8 million a year. Let's just not ask how it might get funded.
