As the clock winds down on the 2022 and limited time remains to pass legislation for a national anti-corruption commission by the end of the year, the Prime Minister now denies he promised to do just that.
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Pressure is mounting on the government to re-commit to its original promise to legislate an anti-corruption body by the end of the year.
The Prime Minister on Monday appeared to walk back Labor's election promise to have an anti-corruption body legislated by the end of 2022, while still expressing confidence his government can do so as he reschedules Parliament to prevent an agenda backlog.
Crossbench MPs have warned Mr Albanese he risks a "very bad precedent" if he fails to meet his own promised deadline to deliver an anti-corruption commission.
Anthony Albanese said on Monday that the "commitment we had is it would be introduced this year".
Labor's April 16 media release stated an Albanese government "will legislate" the body by the end of the year, making no reference to only being introduced. Legislation once introduced can languish without a vote if the government chooses.
A spokesman for Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said he now plans to introduce the legislation in the rescheduled late September sitting week.
"We aim for the bill to be passed this year," the spokesman said.
Mr Dreyfus will seek to secure Labor caucus approval for his anti-corruption body legislation after which it would be introduced on the new date of September 27.
A new select committee of Parliament will be created to look at the commission legislation and report back to both houses of Parliament before debate resumes and amendments are considered.
The government is confident there will be enough time in the final three months of the year for the committee to consider seek public views and finalise its report to Parliament.
Teal independent MP Zoe Daniel said the government should keep its promise.
"It would be a very bad precedent indeed if failing to meet this crucial 'integrity test' turns out to be his first 'non-core' commitment," Ms Daniel said.
"The Attorney-General [Mark Dreyfus] could help stick to the timetable if he would make the legislation public right now, enabling consultation to be more informed and expedited."
ACT senator David Pocock said government committed to legislate an integrity commission this year and there was an expectation that this will be done.
"The development, design and passage of the integrity commission should not be delayed or short-changed," he said.
"We know that the legislation has been prepared - it was due to enter the House of Representatives this week. It should be released as soon as possible. Public consultation needs to start now."
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When making the promise during the 2022 election campaign, the Labor leader criticised his predecessor for breaking his own promise at the 2019 election - doing neither of legislating or introducing a bill for the Coalition's version of the commission.
"It's very clear that not only has Scott Morrison failed to legislate for one, not only has he failed to introduce legislation, he's now saying somehow ... it's the Labor Party's fault that he hasn't introduced legislation for a National Anti-Corruption Commission," Mr Albanese said in a doorstop interview with reporters in Cairns on April 16 this year.
Harley Dennett
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
