Corruption and Crime Commission
The Western Australian Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) has extensive powers. In addition to combating organised crime its role includes seeking “to reduce the incidence of misconduct in the public service”.
The commission’s powers include being able “to compel a witness to attend a hearing, to produce documents, to obtain a search warrant on application to a judge, to intercept telecommunications and use surveillance devices, to use assumed identities, and to conduct integrity tests”.
I’m not convinced it’s necessary or desirable to allow an investigative organisation the right to tap private phones without genuine suspicion of wrongdoing. The CCC’s inquiry into alleged misconduct by public officers seems to be very much a fishing trip, and without phone taps the evidence would be flimsy to say the least.
Even with the telephone evidence the private discussions are open to various interpretations.
The ministers who have been paraded before the commission have definitely been indiscreet. I don’t believe they are corrupt. I’m certain they are not the first ministers to leak cabinet discussions but they will probably be the last.
Politics is already a profession that has its leading players living in a fishbowl of public examination. It’s difficult to attract quality people to state politics in particular, and although party pre-selection processes leave a lot to be desired, it’s going to be even harder to recruit candidates who aren’t party hacks.
It’s fair game now in Western Australia for ministers to have their private discussions recorded and monitored. Not many people will be willing to live under that level of scrutiny.
In terms of the ministers currently before the commission, I can’t help but think that Premier Alan Carpenter is largely to blame for relaxing Geoff Gallop’s previous ban on links with lobbyists Brian Burke and Julian Grill. Carpenter blurred the lines and some ministers stumbled across it.
The fall-out isn’t good for the government or the people of Western Australia.
These articles might be of interest:
