29th Nov 2022, 12:41 PM – Senate National Anti-Corruption Commission Bill 2022 and another - in Committee - Objects of the bill

The majority voted against an amendment introduced by NSW Senator David Shoebridge (Greens), which means it failed.

What did the amendment do?

Senator Shoebridge explained that:

This amendment, if accepted, would fill a gap in the bill. The bill as proposed, in its principles and objects, does not contain one key statement of principle, which is that we are establishing an independent national anticorruption commission. We heard in the committee, from witnesses very familiar with the New South Wales commission, that that clear statement of intent in the objects of the bill, stating unambiguously that we are establishing an independent national anticorruption commission, will be important, because, if there is any ambiguity about how the act should operate, and it faces legal challenge, one of the first things a court will do is go back to the objects and say, 'What was parliament trying to establish here?' Surely we can unite on this and say that one of the key objects of this bill is to establish an independent national anticorruption commission.

Amendment text

(1) Clause 3, page 3 (line 7), at the end of clause, add:

; (e) to establish an independent National Anti-Corruption Commission.