RUBY:

From Schwartz Media, I’m Ruby Jones. This is 7am.

With the Queensland state election looming, the Prime Minister has spent the last week on the hustings.
But, just as he arrived to lend a hand, it was revealed that the LNP Opposition leader had been referred to the election watchdog for alleged impropriety.

Today - columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the growing political scandals around the country, and the missing link in Australia’s anti-corruption framework.

**

RUBY:

Paul, this week, the Prime Minister travelled to Queensland. How did that trip begin for him?

PAUL:

Well, it started off with the Prime Minister giving us some good TV pics, that's for sure - on Sunday, a beaming Scott Morrison gave news crews the sort of picture opportunity they really appreciate. There, head above the turret of an armoured vehicle perched behind a machine gun, the Prime Minister was having a fun ride. And as it turns out, as the week went on, that image became something of an apt metaphor for his six days selling the budget and supporting struggling LNP leader Deb Frecklington’s campaign. He needed all the cover he could get as Frecklington drew heavy fire over issues of propriety, and then while he was up there, the Liberal Premier of New South Wales was engulfed in issues of corruption.

RUBY:

Right. And before we get to those accusations, the Prime Minister, he spent the entire last week, which is the week right after his budget in Queensland - is that unusual, Paul?

PAUL:

Well, you could say that. In fact, Prime Ministers after budgets, they tend to traipse around the country spending a day in every state. Why Morrison dedicated his entire post budget selling week to Queensland is something of a mystery - he did spend the whole week selling the budget while on the state election campaign trail with Deb Frecklington.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“So, Deb, I'm very pleased to have you here with me…”

PAUL:

Morrison said the Queensland LNP leader had wanted him to visit for a while.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“Our plans of the government that I lead and the one that Deb would hope to lead will mesh strongly, they'll go together well…”

PAUL:

And Ms Frecklington claimed their first campaign appearance together that she was pleased he'd made it.

Archival Tape -- Deb Frecklington

“Today it is a really exciting day for Queensland to have the Prime Minister of Australia here in Queensland talking about their plan for manufacturing…”

PAUL:

Ruby, she's no doubt hoping that Morrison's popularity in the Sunshine State will translate into votes for her

RUBY:

Mm. And the Queensland state election, that's in two weeks time - What is likely to happen?

PAUL:

While the Labour Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk only has a majority of two in the 93-seat parliament and is defending a string of ultra marginal seats right up the coast to Cairns. But Labour sources say their polling shows them tracking well in the South-East corner, particularly in metropolitan Brisbane. I think they're hoping that might be a buffer to any loss further north. And overall within Labor, there's a quiet confidence of a third term win for Palaszczuk.

She's becoming the unlikely Premier who could become the long term Premier. Her government's handling of the pandemic and her pledge to keep Queenslanders safe has won wide support, particularly with older voters. And her chances of winning have been helped by those new allegations against her opponent. Frecklington’s campaign was rocked on Tuesday when the ABC revealed she'd been referred to the election watchdog for alleged impropriety and potentially illegality.

RUBY:

Okay, so let's talk about that. What are those allegations?

PAUL:

Well, the allegation is that she potentially solicited illegal donations from property developers.

Archival Tape -- News Reader

“Well, just weeks from a state election, questions are swirling around Queensland's Liberal-National opposition leader. An ABC investigation found Deb Frecklington…”

PAUL:

The LNP leader denies any breaches. But she and her ally in Brisbane, Federal Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, defied party headquarters by attending a series of fundraisers with high flying developers on the guest list.

Archival Tape -- News Reader

“The Electoral Commission is looking into fundraising events held by Deb Frecklington in July and August, where property developers were present…”

PAUL:

Ruby, money certainly flowed into party coffers after the event, but exactly who gave it is open to speculation.

Archival Tape -- News Reader

It suggests that a developer who attended one of the events was asked to donate to the party through an industry body, thereby disguising the payment…

PAUL:

There was enough to sound alarm bells at Liberal-National Party headquarters to investigate. The organisation took legal advice, and in September handed a brief of evidence to the Queensland Electoral Commission. So Frecklington was referred to the electoral watchdog by her own party organisation.

RUBY:

We'll be back in a moment.

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RUBY:

Paul, the Queensland opposition leader has been referred to the Electoral Commission and that referral was by her own party. So what is she herself saying about all of this?

PAUL:

Well, she denied it was a referral - she says it was the party just seeking advice. But the LNP sources to the ABC described that as semantics, and it certainly doesn't cut the mustard, in fact, the Premier pointed out that what she's being accused of does carry with it, if there's any substance to these allegations, a potential jail term or very hefty fines.

RUBY:

Okay, so this is all coming to light while the Prime Minister is actually in Queensland. So what did he say about it all?

PAUL:

Well, it was pretty embarrassing for him, you know, to fly up to Queensland to support a state ally, only to find yourself embroiled in her, hmm, sticky situation. Scott Morrison was questioned about it on Tuesday morning when the story broke on the ABC.

Archival Tape -- Journalist

“Prime Minister, is it a good idea for politicians to invite prohibited donors to fundraising events during an election campaign?”

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“Well all political parties should comply with the laws. The laws are different in different states. They’re different at federal level, they’re different at state level, everyone should just comply with the law! It's pretty straightforward!”

PAUL:

But for the rest of the day, he campaigned without Frecklington anywhere to be seen. And there was a scheduled fundraising lunch - the party duly closed it to the media. And according to news camera operators, the Prime Minister entered by one door, while the LNP leader snuck in by another away from the media pack. And wait, Ruby, it gets better, or could I say, murkier.

On the same day as this, the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission issued an extraordinary open letter to all candidates in the state election.
The commissioner, Alan McSporran, disclosed that the agency was collecting data on political donations and that its intelligence assessment indicated, and I'm quoting ‘the lines between government and the private sector are blurring, with overlapping networks of association involving consultants, influences, lobbyists and executives.’

RUBY:

Mm. And it's not just in Queensland where these lines are being blurred, Paul - we're seeing some pretty extraordinary allegations and admissions in New South Wales at the moment?

PAUL:

Well, yes. On Monday, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian's appearance before the Independent Commission Against Corruption was another shock to the campaigning Morrison, and you'd have to say probably to the nation. We heard about Berejiklian's five year ‘close personal relationship’, as she described it, with disgraced former State MP Daryl Maguire, who was facing further corruption allegations.

Scott Morrison said they were very new revelations when he was tackled about it by reporters. He was very cautious, saying we should leave ICAC to follow its own course. However, the next day, Scott Morrison, I might have to say, had regained his composure and put his full weight behind Premier Berejiklian.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“Gladys has been a tremendous Premier, and she has my absolute support. And I thought she showed a lot of courage yesterday. But I also thought she showed a lot of humility…”

RUBY:

And that story and the fallout is continuing as we speak. But this is all coming, Paul, as there are also renewed calls for a National Integrity Commission?

PAUL:

That's right, Ruby. In fact, it sparked calls again for a Federal Integrity Commission, and the Federal Government had previously outlined plans to introduce one. But Attorney-General Christian Porter has blamed Covid for his failure to deliver as promised and on time, even though he boasted in January the draft bill was all but complete. But Ruby, the sad fact is the proposed bill looks like a bit of a sham.

RUBY:

What do you mean by that? How is it a sham?

PAUL:

Well, according to the outlines of the bill already given by the Attorney-General and indeed the Prime Minister, politicians would receive special treatment. The commission wouldn't initiate enquiries - but listen to this - but would have to wait for a Government reference and there'd be no public hearings. And the essence of these integrity commissions is to not only name and shame, but to educate the public and the politicians about corruption.

One legal source tells me that Christian Porter is also proposing to have a new crime of official corruption. Now, that means even if he does get around to some sort of integrity commission, it couldn't retrospectively look into the Morrison government because criminal law can never be applied retrospectively.

RUBY:

Paul, what is your opinion on the importance of a National Integrity Commission? Given what we know is happening on a state level, do you think that we should have someone or a body that's capable of looking at what's happening federally?

PAUL:

Oh, absolutely. Every state has got an Integrity Commission of some sorts - the gold standard is the ICAC in New South Wales. And the fact of the matter is that politicians will use, do use, and have used their numbers to constrain and avoid as much scrutiny as they can that would cause embarrassment or political damage to them.

If I can quote the Queensland Corruption Commissioner McSporran, he says it's vital that government decision making is fair, transparent and accountable and that decisions are based on merit that are in the best interests of the community. It's true in Queensland and it's certainly true for Australia as a nation.

RUBY:

Paul, thank you so much for your time today.

PAUL:

Thank you, Ruby. Bye.

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RUBY:

Also in the news today…

The Australian Federal Police have confirmed ABC journalist Dan Oakes will not be prosecuted over his reporting on alleged war crimes carried out by Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan.

The AFP said yesterday it had referred a brief to the Commonwealth Prosecutor, outlining three potential criminal charges. But the prosecutor said there was no public interest in pursuing the charges.

And the Prime Minister has announced that he is in discussions with the Northern Territory government over using its Howard Springs facility south of Darwin to expand Australia’s quarantine capacity and bring more Australians stranded overseas home sooner.

7am is a daily show from The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. It’s produced by Ruby Schwartz, Atticus Bastow, and Michelle Macklem.

Elle Marsh is our features and field producer, in a position supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas.

Brian Campeau mixes the show. Our editor is Osman Faruqi. Erik Jensen is our editor-in-chief.
Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and Josh Hogan of Envelope Audio.

New episodes of 7am are released every weekday morning. Subscribe in your favourite podcast app, to make sure you don’t miss out.

I’m Ruby Jones, see you next week.