I welcome the opportunity to contribute to debate on the Independent Commission Against Corruption Amendment (Ministerial Diary Disclosure) Bill 2024, because it raises topics that I care a lot about. While I have criticisms of the bill brought by the member for Kiama, it deals with matters of the highest importance for all members to be constantly vigilant about. The Minns Labor Government is built on the three primary pillars of transparency, accountability and community engagement. I acknowledge the achievements of the Minns Labor Government over the past year in enacting numerous integrity and transparency measures. Key reforms, such as grants reform and the strengthening of political donation regulations, underscore our commitment to a more accountable system.
Of course, that work is ongoing. We can never stop searching for ways to protect our democracy against improper influence. Transparency and integrity are at the heart of a healthy, vibrant democracy, and it is our collective responsibility as lawmakers to prioritise those principles. For example, the Leader of the Opposition committed to disclosing his diary. When will that happen? Nothing has happened. Former Labor Opposition leaders disclosed their diaries; the current Leader of the Opposition should disclose his diary. I call for that to happen now.
The bill touches upon a few facets of integrity and probity. However, the Government cannot endorse it in its current form. As other speakers have noted, the Government will present its own package aimed at tackling improper lobbying. When it does, it will be based on careful consideration of how to most effectively tackle the real problems. Many provisions outlined in the bill replicate existing requirements set forth in the Premier's memorandum, including the obligation for Ministers to regularly publish meeting summaries. Ministerial disclosure of quarterly diary summaries is already mandated by the Premier's memorandum. They are readily accessible on the Cabinet Office's website.
Despite referencing the ICAC report on Operation Eclipse, the bill fails to incorporate any of the ICAC's recommendations pertaining to ministerial diary disclosures. In circumventing those crucial issues, the bill neglects to address the comprehensive reforms urged by Operation Eclipse, particularly in regard to lobbying regulation. The Government is actively assessing the recommendations concerning lobbying arising from the inquiry, cognisant of the intricate considerations at play.
Safeguarding voter confidence is imperative for the vitality of our democracy. At the moment there is a public debate in Australia and around the world on the impact of misinformation and disinformation on the political system. Public confidence can easily be eroded due to actual or perceived weaknesses in the integrity or security of electoral systems—matters that misinformation and disinformation campaigns can easily exploit. Disinformation is a not a new problem, but the internet and AI have made generating disinformation trivially easy and social media has made distributing it essentially costless. It is an international phenomenon—64 countries, plus the European Union, are voting this year in elections that will be varying degrees of free and fair. Major democracies like India and the United States of America are grappling with weaponised disinformation and deepfakes. Some of that is chaotic and opportunistic; other examples are clearly the coordinated actions of powerful actors.
Australia and New South Wales are not immune from those globally profound forces. Measures that aim to strengthen the security and integrity of the New South Wales electoral system are essential to achieving 100 per cent confidence in that system. Promoting confidence in the system includes addressing transparency in matters related to lobbying, which the bill aims to address. The Government is committed to taking decisive action following thorough consideration, ensuring a holistic approach to addressing major issues effectively. I look forward to the contributions from the member for Kiama and others to that package when it is brought forward in the near future.
