The Guardian 21 March, 2007
Editorial
Corruption and greed in high places
The sacking of two Federal Government cabinet members, possible action against three others and the similar exposure of members of some State Governments is an indication that corruption is alive and well in the highest echelons of government and business in Australia.
Before these recent events was the case of the millions of dollars of corrupt payments by the Wheat Board to the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein. It is impossible to believe that these payments, which were made over a considerable period of time, were not known to leading government Ministers including the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister.
From time to time the corrupt practices taking place in many corporations and companies are revealed in the press or by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). They are mostly covered up or those involved given minimal sentences. Corruption is endemic in the capitalist system where everything is valued in money terms, and making money is the measure of every transaction.
So-called aid payments are made to some foreign governments but again there are stories that much of this money is siphoned off by those who administer such schemes. Only a small proportion of the “aid" actually reaches what are claimed to be the intended recipients — those who have been hit by earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Then there are the millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money that are paid out to companies which make claims for subsidies. Very few of these payments are ever acknowledged publicly. There would be a storm of protest if the extent of these payments to companies were revealed.
Without a blush the Defence Minister pays billions of dollars for military equipment or aircrafts that turn out to be lemons. The Australian built submarines and the Hornet aircraft are just two examples. And who is to say whether or not the Minister and other personnel in the Defence Department are not getting kick-backs. It is a widespread practice in business circles in payment for bending the rules and in arranging contracts and other favours. This is exactly what is involved in the “lobbying" undertaken by Brian Burke and Julian Brill in WA.
Another form of corruption is wrapped up in the “legal" share options and huge salaries paid to persons on the Boards of companies and corporations. The obscene level of such payments has risen to huge proportions and nothing is being done about it. Governments have no interest in and lack the courage to take on these businesses because it is likely that government ministers will graduate to corporate management after they leave the parliamentary benches. Two examples are Peter Reith the former Liberal Party Minister of Industrial Affairs who moved into the lucrative defence area and former Labor Premier of NSW Bob Carr who resigned as Premier and moved quickly into the Macquarie Bank.
Corruption is widespread in many countries and it is extremely difficult to weed out. Individual greed has become deeply entrenched in every money-run society. Those involved are mainly to be found in places of influence and power. It is not to be found among the working people and the poorer sections of the community who have few means and very few opportunities to build up corrupt fortunes. It is they who are usually the targets and suffer the consequences of corrupt scams.
The widespread corruption in Australia has not stopped the Liberal-National Party Government from using alleged corruption in other smaller countries as the reason to interfere in their internal affairs while claiming that they are installing “good governance". This was a main reason for the Australian intervention in the Solomon Islands and was advanced as a reason to send police, troops and government “advisers" to Papua New Guinea. Fortunately the PNG Government refused the demands of the Australian Government which sought exemption from PNG laws for the personnel that were to be brought into PNG.
Of course, these are only the excuses given for intervention. The real objective is to install governments and an administration that will meekly carry out the political and economic policies that the Australian government supports. Corruption was not eliminated. It was continued by the Australian administrators who were and are being paid high salaries and given lucrative contracts.