Election 2022: Scott Morrison snubs calls for action on integrity commission

Scott Morrison has signalled he will legislate a federal anti-­corruption body only if his controversial model is supported by Labor.

Scott Morrison in Torquay, Victoria, on Wednesday. Picture: Jason Edwards

Scott Morrison has signalled he will legislate a federal anti-­corruption body only if his controversial model is supported by Labor, giving ammunition to ­Climate 200-backed independents challenging Liberal MPs in Sydney and Melbourne.

The Prime Minister would not commit to reviving stalled legislation for a commonwealth integrity commission if he wins government, despite the issue being an election commitment ahead of the 2019 poll.

Mr Morrison refused to put his model to a vote in the last term while it was opposed by Labor, which wanted a body with more teeth. With Labor opposed to the government’s model, it was unlikely to pass parliament given the tight numbers in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the last term.

Mr Morrison now wants ­bipartisan support even if he wins the election with a thumping ­majority. “Our position hasn’t changed,” he said on Wednesday. “We have a detailed piece of legislation, which I did table in parliament, and our view has been the same. When Labor is prepared to support that legislation in that form, we will proceed.”

Labor opposed the bill because it did not allow public hearings or the ability to assess historical cases.

One of the key planks of the campaign of the independents is the failure of Mr Morrison to ­create a federal anti-corruption agency.