On the 7th September 2023, Quakers Australia held an action “Show integrity in Public Office” at Parliament House in Canberra. This was the third undertaking by Quakers Australia on this important matter.
Integrity in Public Office action
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) has a Concern for integrity and respectfully speaking truth to power. This Concern began at the formation of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in England in 1652.
Integrity happens when a person is trustworthy in their responses and they are open about their true motives.
For Quakers, integrity is outwards, in their personal, societal behaviour, as well as inwards, in spiritual practice. We collectively discern what we are called by God or Spirit to do at this time regarding integrity, peace, equality, fairness, unity, care of people and of the earth.
Quakers ask for greater integrity in public office and the prioritising of decency and the common good through:
- the allocation of grants on the basis of merit, not vote buying;
- the capping of political donations and their declaration in real time;
- the limiting of industry influence in political decision-making when the common good or the environment are not served;
- the legislation of real consequences for politicians/ senior public servants/ appointees who prove to lack integrity; and
- the cessation of time-wasting personal attacks under ‘parliamentary privilege’.
Politicians and their publicly funded advisers are asked to demonstrate a high level of integrity when making decisions in the best interest of Australia’s economic, societal and environmental future.
Support for National Anti-Corruption Commission
The “Integrity in Public Office” action by Quakers in Australia calls on the federal government to be determined to continue to work for integrity in public office. This is the third time that Quakers, the Religious Society of Friends are holding this action, the previous actions were in August 2022 and February 2023.
We are encouraged by the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. We strongly support further action that will increase integrity in public office and in democratic processes such as the current Bills before Parliament that call for increased whistle blower protection, restrictions in and transparency of donations to political parties, revolving door appointments, Freedom of Information processes.
“This project and the action today developed in the second half of 2021 in response to several problems with integrity in public office in the federal parliament” said Wies Schuiringa, one of the instigators of the action. “A lack of integrity in public office causes disrespect, distrust and cynicism in the processes of public office, encourages a further lack of integrity and derails governing for the common good”.
Show Integrity in Public Office is a 2 year project as it takes time to change the subculture in parliamentary environments. Quakers Australia encourage you to contact your federal member of parliament that you want a strong federal Integrity Commission. A proposed bill is expected to be presented in the first two weeks of September
Recent local action by Quakers Australia:
On the 7th September Quakers Australia held an action “Show integrity in Public Office” at Parliament House in Canberra. It was our third action on this important matter.
We stood on the road where the cars of most parliamentarians enter their carpark in the morning and many waved back to us from their cars. The Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus rode by on his bicycle and we greeted each other. Monique Ryan, Teal from Melbourne and David Crowe, chief political correspondent SMH and The Age walked by and we gave them our flyer.
This is a video we made of three of us speaking on Integrity.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13mx8XQ2DVBujv8jfLGHfA7i20wf6YraW/view?usp=drive_link
On Thursday 4 August, in pouring rain, a group of Quakers held a short action “Show Integrity in Public Office” at Parliament House in Canberra. The purpose was, and is to support the new federal government to establish a strong Integrity Commission.
Watch video links:
Wies Schuiringa – “Show Integrity in Public Office” at Parliament House in Canberra
Quaker Canberra interviews – Show Integrity in Public Office – Parliament House Canberra
Find our more about the public office project by visiting the Integrity in Public Office Project Quakers Australia home page
Summary:
The Quakers support those who also work for greater integrity in public office and welcome others to join them. A lack of integrity in public office causes disrespect, distrust and cynicism in the processes of public office, encourages a further lack of integrity and derails governing for the common good.
Integrity happens when a person is trustworthy in their responses and they are open about their true motives.
Quakers in Australia now ask for: the legislation of real consequences for politicians/ senior public servants/ appointees who prove to lack integrity; and the cessation of time-wasting personal attacks under ‘parliamentary privilege’.
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