Anthony Albanese urged to uphold pre-election promise after Queen’s death

Anthony Albanese has backtracked on a pre-election promise following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Anthony Albanese has backtracked on his pre-election promise of legislating a federal integrity watchdog by Christmas.

The Prime Minister said on Monday he had committed to introducing laws for the national anticorruption commission to parliament by the end of the year.

“The commitment we had was that it would be introduced this year, but I’m confident that that timetable hasn’t changed,” he told reporters at Parliament House.

But he had promised before the federal election that Labor would legislate the body by the end of the year.

“Labor will legislate a National Anti-Corruption Commission by the end of 2022,” Mr Albanese said in a statement released on April 7.

“If elected, a National Anti-Corruption Commission will be the first priority of the Attorney-General in an Albanese Labor government.”

Labor was set to introduce the Bill to establish the commission to parliament this week in what would have been the second half of the September sitting fortnight.

The Queen’s death has cast doubt on Anthony Albanese’s pre-election promise of legislating the anti-corruption commission by the end of the year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

But those plans have been delayed given Australia’s parliament has been suspended for at least 15 days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death on Thursday night.

Mr Albanese confirmed the adjournment on Friday morning after the British monarch died at the age of 96.

Mr Albanese said on Monday parliament would return for three days later this month to make up for lost time, after he returns from a trip to the UK to meet with King Charles III.

Mr Albanese said he was keeping with longstanding plans for the Queen’s death.

“I think that we’ve seen enough of breaches of protocol and arrangements and conventions. I intend to act with accordance in advice. I’ve done that,” he said.

“The idea that you would have Question Time or other activities at this point in time … They are not arrangements that I’ve made up. They’re arrangements that have been in place for a long period of time.”

Independent MPs have urged Mr Albanese to keep his election promise to pass the national integrity commission Bill this year.

Goldstein MP Zoe Daniel said Mr Albanese had “made much of keeping his promises”.

“It would be a very bad precedent indeed if failing to meet this crucial ‘integrity test’ turned out to be his first ‘non-core’ commitment,” she said.

“The Attorney-General could help stick to the timetable if he would make the legislation public right now, enabling consultation to be more informed and expedited.”

Indi MP Helen Haines says she is open to pursuing amendments to Labor’s laws to strengthen them. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Indi MP Helen Haines, who put forward her own integrity commission Bill during the previous term of parliament, said she would approach the Albanese government’s laws “in good faith”.

“Many of the new crossbench members came to the election on a platform of integrity, for the government to have the faith of the people. And I think that’s what we need. We need to restore trust,” she told the ABC.

Dr Haines said she would be open to pursuing amendments to Labor’s legislation, the details of which are yet to be publicly unveiled.

Parliament will sit for an additional three days from September 26 to 28, which is when the anticorruption commission Bill is now expected to be introduced.

It is still possible the Bill could become law by the end of the year, but the delay could prevent Labor from meeting its original deadline, depending on what happens in both houses of parliament.

Labor can easily get legislation through the lower house, but it needs the support of the Greens and one crossbencher in the Senate in order to pass laws without the Coalition.

The Albanese government has indicated it wants the integrity body – which will investigate cases of corrupt conduct in government and the public sector – to be up and running by mid-2023.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese urged to uphold pre-election promise after Queen’s death