All Six Crossbenchers Want An Anti-Corruption Body And They Need Just One Vote To Get Up

75 MPs want an anti-corruption commission, and 75 don’t: that’s the precarious position PM Scott Morrison finds himself in as he faces a new push by the crossbench to score on a federal corruption watchdog.

Joined by likely Wentworth victor Kerryn Phelps, crossbenchers Rebekha Sharkie, Bob Katter, Andrew Wilkie, Adam Bandt and Cathy McGowan have all now voiced support for a federal independent commission against corruption.

If a vote is tied, the speaker of the House casts a tiebreaker — currently, the speaker is Liberal MP Tony Smith, who is expected to vote along party lines.

When asked earlier in the week whether he supported a federal anti-corruption commission, deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said “I don’t think it is necessary”.

"I don't think it is necessary."

Deputy PM @M_McCormackMP shoots down support for a federal anti-corruption body #auspol pic.twitter.com/QV9UUHeIqS

— News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) October 25, 2018

Such a body may be modelled of NSW’s Independent Commission Against Corruption. Formed in 1989 and powered by a $25 million annual budget, the body investigates corruption in public administration, and is lead by a commissioner who maintains tenure in five year terms.

The body is known for calling former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell to answer questions about a $3,000 wine bottle he had been allegedly gifted. He later resigned. ICAC also found that NSW politicians Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald had acted corruptly.

At the beginning of the year, Labor leader Bill Shorten confirmed that his party would take the anti-corruption commission to the next election, an advancement of Labor’s earlier policy to “investigate the merit” of such a body.

Former PM Malcolm Turnbull said that he had been “looking at this issue” and was open to a federal ICAC.

“If the government’s conclusion is that there are gaps in our armoury, then we will look at the best way to fill them,” Turnbull told Fairfax at the end of last year. “But you have just got to make sure that you get it right, as the experience has been mixed.”

And earlier in the week attorney-general Christian Porter told Fairfax that the government was open to an anti-corruption body, saying:

“I’m undecided. I’m not saying I’m going to oppose it, I’m not sure. We’ll discuss it.”

A 2017 Senate inquiry suggested that thought be given to “to establishing a Commonwealth agency with broad scope and jurisdiction to address integrity and corruption matters”.

Before an election is called, all it would take is one missing government MP for the House to have the numbers to push through an anti-corruption commission.