[Greens-Media] Greens call for Ministerial Code of Conduct to be legislated following Sinodinos's announcement

[Jegatheeswaran, Brami (Jegan) (Sen L. Rhiannon)]

MEDIA COMMENT
19 March 2014

Greens call for Ministerial Code of Conduct to be legislated following Sinodinos's announcement
Responding to Senator Arthur Sinodinos stepping aside from the position of Assistant Treasurer, Greens spokesperson for Democracy Senator Lee Rhiannon said:
"Recent events relating to a series of government frontbenchers have highlighted why it's not good enough to have a Ministerial Code of Conduct that is developed at the discretion of the government of the day.
"The Ministerial Code of Conduct needs to be legislated and I will be talking to my Labor colleagues to assess their support.
"Apart from helping to restore the public's faith in democracy, it will stop actions like that of Prime Minister Abbott when he wound back the Ministerial Code of Conduct last year to allow ministers to  hold shares in public companies.
"Transparency, integrity and accountability are the cornerstones of a democracy. The public have a right to expect that their MPs, from the Prime Minister to all backbenchers, will be obliged by law to abide by the highest standards.

Brami Jegan
Media Adviser 0487 350 880
Office of Senator Lee Rhiannon | Australian Greens Senator for New South Wales

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