Fed: Democrats calls for law to control post-ministry jobs
CANBERRA, Feb 19 AAP - The Australian Democrats today called for rules to stop formerministers from immediately going to work for private industry when they leave politics.
Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja said such rules applied in many other countriesand Prime Minister John Howard was wrong to say they weren't needed.
Senator Stott Despoja said there would certainly be a degree of difficulty in decidingappropriate time periods and processes and they would be addressed in her proposed privatemembers bill.
"I don't think that there is any disagreement, certainly amongst the community andeven other members of parliament. We need some regulatory process in place like comparablecountries around the world, like the US, the UK and Canada," she said on the Nine Network.
"There has to be some post-parliamentary regulation set up so that particularly ministersof the crown can't utilise sensitive information for lucrative rewards."
The issue of ex-ministers taking up industry positions has been highlighted by formerfinance minister John Fahey going to work for an investment bank while former defenceminister Peter Reith and health minister Michael Wooldridge have taken positions withdefence and health firms.
She said this was an issue that applied to both sides of politics, not just formerCoalition ministers.
She said the ministerial code of conduct had only ever been a self-regulatory guide.
"That is not good enough and other countries have recognised that," she said.
"That is why I am drafting this private member's bill, subject to public feedback andof course consultation with other political parties, to put in place a cooling off periodand also investigate other processes, based on world practice models."
AAP mb/cjh/sb
KEYWORD: DEMOCRATS MINISTERS
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