Tony Abbott and the fine art of waving away corruption
Tony Abbott's efforts to downplay the NSW ICAC scandal counter his own record of reforming his party when in power — and reflect exactly the kind of hypocrisy that makes voters so fed up. The post Tony Abbott and the fine art of waving away corruption appeared first on Crikey .
Tony Abbott, once Australia's prime minister, has expressed a notably lenient view towards corruption in political circles. In 2013, Abbott warned party members against being both a powerbroker and a lobbyist, highlighting the toxic influence of "super-lobbyists" within the Liberal Party. However, Abbott now appears to downplay the current ICAC inquiry into the NSW Liberals' "Reformers" group, questioning its legitimacy as a mere factional battle and dismissing the allegations as the acts of politically inexperienced individuals.
The allegations range from potential misuse of taxpayer funds for Catholic schools to framing a key bureaucrat, and even claims of personal use of donations. Abbott, who has previously criticized donation prohibitions, seems to disregard these serious allegations and focuses on the consequences for those involved, ignoring the potential harm caused to the public and the institutions affected.
Written by urgent.news from Crikey's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
