Australia slides further in global corruption index in wake of scandals

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This was published 6 years ago

Australia slides further in global corruption index in wake of scandals

By Adam Gartrell

Revelations of dodgy donations, travel rorts and the cosy relationship between politicians and industry lobbyists appear to have battered people's trust in Australia's public sector, pushing the nation downwards in a global corruption index.

Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index shows Australia's score has fallen another two points - from 79 out of 100 down to 77 - reflecting growing community scepticism about the integrity of the nation's institutions.

The anti-corruption organisation says while Australia's ranking is unchanged - it remains equal 13th out of 180 countries - its score has slipped eight points since the index began in its current form in 2012.

Inappropriate industry lobbying has damaged perceptions of Australia, according to Transparency International.

Inappropriate industry lobbying has damaged perceptions of Australia, according to Transparency International.Credit: Louie Douvis

“This suggests a loss of trust in the Australian public sector and the perception, at best, that
corruption has gotten worse in only a few short years”, said Transparency International Australia chief executive Serena Lillywhite.

“The misuse of travel allowances, inadequate regulation of foreign political donations, conflicts
of interest in planning approvals, revolving doors, a culture of mateship and inappropriate
industry lobbying in large-scale projects such as mining, and the misuse of power by leading
politicians have no doubt had an impact."

The index does not measure actual corruption but is a reflection of perceptions according to local and international experts and business leaders.

New Zealand is now considered the least corrupt country, with a score of 89. The European nations of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland also rank highly, as do Canada and Singapore.

Australia ranks just behind Germany, and equal to Hong Kong and Iceland. Six years ago, Australia ranked seventh.

Key Australian partners such as the United States and Japan rank 16th and 20th respectively in the latest index, while our top trading partner - China - ranks 77th with a score of 41.

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Within Australia's Asia Pacific region the average score is 44. Australia's closest neighbours fare poorly, with Indonesia scoring 37 and Papua New Guinea 29.

Somalia is considered the most corrupt nation on the planet, with a score of just 9. South Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq also languish in the bottom 10.

Transparency International says a majority of countries are moving too slowly in their efforts.

It considers the prevalance of corrupt behaviour such as bribery and the misuse of public funds, as well as the strength of integrity measures such as protections of whistleblowers and journalists, and anti-corruption bodies.

Transparency International Australia chair Tony Whealy, QC, renewed his call for a national anti-corruption body.

Labor last month pledged to set up a National Integrity Commission if it wins government at the next election but the Coalition is split on the idea.

While Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has not ruled out forming such a body, he says he still needs to be convinced of the need for it. Prominent MPs such as former prime minister Tony Abbott and former frontbencher Stuart Robert have argued against it.

Most African nations continue to score poorly, which should give pause to Australia's mining companies.

“This should have alarm bells ringing for Australian miners and underscores the importance of
Transparency International Australia’s work to combat corruption in mining approvals”, Ms
Lillywhite said.

New research to be released by the Australia Institute think tank on Thursday finds the perception of corruption will continue to worsen while allegations either not investigated or are investigated entirely behind closed doors.

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