MISCONDUCT IN OFFICE – AUSTRALIA

Docked pay, red cards for badly behaved politicians

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Original article by Olivia Ireland
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 21-Aug-24

The federal government will belatedly introduce a bill on Wednesday to establish an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. The proposed commission was one of the key recommendations of a landmark 2021 report by former sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins, and it was originally intended to be operation by the end of 2023. It will have the power to investigate allegations of breaches of parliamentary standards by MPs, senators and their staffers. Amongst other things, politicians could be be suspended from parliament or be fined up to five per cent of their base salary for any breaches of the standards.

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Call for fresh Morrison probe over Robodebt

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Original article by Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 5 : 9-Aug-23

Greens MP Stephen Bates says former prime minister Scott Morrison appears to have deliberately made false statements about the robodebt scheme in order to mislead parliament. Bates contends that Morrison allowed robodebt to remain in place despite clear advice that the scheme was illegal. The Greens have introduced a motion in the lower house to refer Morrison to the privileges committee over his role in the robodebt scandal. A royal commission into the robodebt scheme made a number of adverse findings against Morrison.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Speaker rejects Greens push to refer Morrison to privileges committee

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Original article by Sarah Martin, Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 24-Aug-22

Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue has advised the federal government that former prime minister Scott Morrison did not break the law in secretly appointing himself to five ministerial portfolios. However, his report concluded that Morrison had "fundamentally undermined" the principles of responsible government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has flagged an inquiry into Morrison’s actions. Meanwhile, the Greens’ bid to have Morrison referred to parliament’s privileges committee has been rejected by the House of Representatives’ Speaker Milton Dick; he said there was not enough evidence to suggest that Morrison had deliberately misled parliament.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Joyce circles after minister quits

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Original article by Greg Brown, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Feb-20

Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie has resigned from the portfolio and as deputy leader of the National Party, after an investigation by top bureaucrat Phil ­Gaetjens found that she had breached the ministerial code of conduct. Gaetjens concluded that sports grants had not been improperly allocated during McKenzie’s previous role as sports minister; however, he found that McKenzie’s failure to declare her membership of a gun club that received a grant constituted a breach of the ministerial code. Some Nationals MPs are believed to have approached Barnaby Joyce about challenging Nationals leader Michael McCormack at a partyroom meeting on 4 February, when they will elect a new deputy.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Billson faces rebuke for working two jobs

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Original article by Adam Gartrell
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 11 : 27-Mar-18

Federal parliament’s privileges committee has recommended amending parliamentary rules so that MPs are banned from undertaking any paid lobbying. This follows its finding that former Small Business Minister Bruce Billson had not followed parliamentary standards when he undertook paid lobby work while he was still an MP. Billson, who left parliament after the June 2016 election, took on a paid role with the Franchise Council of Australia in March of that year. However, he did not disclose his appointment in the register of interests. Billson is expected to be censured by federal parliament as a result of the privileges committee’s findings.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, FRANCHISE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AGILE ADVISORY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ACTU calling for Cash to quit cabinet

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 15-Sep-17

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has defended the appointment of Nigel Hadgkiss as the head of the Australian Building & Construction Commission in December 2016. Cash says she became aware of the ACTU’s allegations against Hadgkiss in October, but she argues that he only admitted to breaching the Fair Work Act when he resigned on 13 September 2017. Cash also argues that Hadgkiss automatically became head of the ABCC when it was reinstated, as he held the same role at the Fair Work Building & Construction Inspectorate. However, ACTU president Ged Kearney says Cash’s position is untenable and she should also resign.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, ACTU, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Court penalises CFMEU officials

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 11-Sep-15

The Federal Court of Australia has imposed fines on the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and two union officials for failing to comply with laws on the right of entry to building sites. The union must pay a penalty of $A225,000 while the officials must pay $A27,500 and $A20,000 respectively. The union is not allowed to reimburse the officials.

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CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Sentence ends Slipper plan to return to law

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Original article by Michael Inman, Christopher Knaus
The Age – Page: 8 : 25-Sep-14

Former MP Peter Slipper has been sentenced for his fraudulent use of travel entitlements. He has been ordered to perform 300 hours of community service and to enter a two-year good-behaviour order. The conviction has ended his plans to return to legal practice

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AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY MAGISTRATES’ COURT

Kathy Jackson hires a lawyer after union inquiry ‘ambush’

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 31-Jul-14

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption has been told that Health Services Union official Kathy Jackson withdrew A$50,000 from a union "slush fund" in 2009 and gave the money to her ex-husband. When confronted with evidence of the withdrawals at a hearing on 30 July 2014, Jackson asked for legal representation, and the hearing was adjourned. She later complained to journalists that she had been "ambushed"

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HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, NATIONAL HEALTH DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, PETER MACCALLUM CANCER INSTITUTE

Mighty slip-up as former speaker guilty of dishonesty

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Original article by Megan Gorrey
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 1 & 5 : 29-Jul-14

The Australian Capital Territory Magistrates’ Court will sentence Peter Slipper on 22 September 2014. The former speaker of the federal lower house has been convicted of dishonestly using government taxi vouchers on three separate occasions in 2010. His lawyer had argued that the prosecution had failed to prove that Slipper had not been on parliamentary business at the time. Slipper had pleaded not guilty

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AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY MAGISTRATES’ COURT, CLONAKILLA WINES PTY LTD, POACHERS PANTRY, DOONKUNA ESTATE PTY LTD, YASS VALLEY WINES, SHAW ESTATE VINEYARD, GALLAGHER WINES, AUSTRALIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS