Australia is one of the world's oldest continuing liberal democracies.
It’s a great achievement and a great inheritance.
It’s a heritage all Australians share in, and it’s why so many from around the world want to join us.
And there are many ways to safeguard it.
That’s why I support the establishment of a National Anti-Corruption Commission.
But—as I spoke in Parliament this week—I lament the need to have one.
I know that many Australians are feeling let down by our leaders and institutions.
Some, sadly, have been proven corrupt and have cheated the system they promised to preserve.
But it pains me that we need to legislate for a commission—with extraordinary powers, overseen by unelected officials—in order to enforce compliance.
That the state of public trust is so bad that we need a commission to expose and enforce against wrongdoing.
A commission can—and should—investigate and expose corrupt conduct.
But a commission does not promote self-control, self-command and self-government.
It does not foster genuine public service and private integrity.
It only fosters fear of being found out.
And it does not nurture the traditional values of prudence, justice, courage and temperance—those classical values that have served leaders well throughout history.
All elected officials are called to high standards of public service, private integrity and virtue.
And it is this private integrity—and ordered self-governance—which offers the best alternative.
We can’t vest all our hopes in a framework that—at best—can only expose and enforce against wrongdoing.
It can’t build integrity or virtue.
We must redouble our efforts to nurture our next generation of Australian leaders.
Leaders who have the virtues of prudence, justice, courage and temperance.
So, even though I support a national anti-corruption commission, my call is for self-government, self-command and ordered liberty.
That’s how we control our own passions of bigotry, ignorance and self-deceit.
And we defeat these impulses in our own hearts.
Regards,
Andrew Hastie
Click on the image above to watch me deliver my speech about the establishment of a National Anti-Corruption Commission in Federal Parliament this week.
