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Stephen Charles

Restoring Australia’s reputation for integrity

by •
December 2022, no. 449

The National Anti-Corruption Bill 2022 was introduced into parliament by the attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus KC, on 28 September 2022. After the second reading speech, the NACC Bill was sent for consideration to a Joint Select Committee, which duly completed its report in time to enable the Bill to be considered for enactment in November.

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Quo vadis, Australia?

by Joy Damousi et al. •
July 2022, no. 444
'Quo vadis, Australia? Reorienting the nation following the election' by Joy Damousi et al.

Following the recent federal election, we invited several senior contributors and commentators to nominate one key policy, direction, or reform they hope the Albanese government will pursue.

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Keeping Them Honest: The case for a genuine national integrity commission and other vital democratic reforms by Stephen Charles and Catherine Williams

by •
May 2022, no. 442
Chris Wallace reviews 'Keeping Them Honest: The case for a genuine national integrity commission and other vital democratic reforms' by Stephen Charles and Catherine Williams

One of the most important pieces of public interest journalism in recent times, and one with direct relevance to Australia, was written from a prison camp east of Moscow in 2021 by Russia’s de facto opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, incarcerated by the Putin government after its failed assassination attempt on him (Guardian, 20 August 2021). During his imprisonment, Navalny had identified a pattern in the memoirs of world leaders. Integrity was never mentioned in their accounts of ‘big agenda’ policy successes, only failures. The argument that pervasive corruption in the government of Afghanistan explained the failure of Western intervention there is one example. Navalny said the pattern invited an obvious question.

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