The federal government will not fulfil its promise to implement a federal anti-corruption watchdog before the election, Michaelia Cash concedes.
The Attorney-General made the revelation at Senate estimates on Tuesday, a week after Prime Minister Scott Morrison contradicted her over similar comments.
The Coalition pledged to introduce a federal anti-corruption body in this term of government, but its model has been criticised by anti-corruption experts and some of its own backbenchers as insufficient.
Minister Cash conceded the government could not pass its model without support from Labor and the Greens, who have both called for the watchdog to have stronger powers.
She said the government remained committed to its model, accusing the opposition of "playing politics" with the issue.
"We won't be getting that co-operation to pass our bill in the model that we had, and therefore the government's not progressing with it at this stage," she said.
The comments came a week after Senator Cash said there was no time to pass an anti-corruption watchdog, with the religious discrimination bill and anti-trolling laws the government's priority.
But Mr Morrison contradicted her just hours later, dismissing suggestions the bill would not be passed in this term of government.
"The term is not completed yet ... We'll see," he said, when asked if the bill would pass before the election.
Mr Morrison suggested his minister had been referring only to the parliamentary sitting fortnight currently under way.
But Minister Cash rejected suggestions her messaging had been out of step with the Prime Minister.
"So why did the Prime Minister on Monday contradict what you had said? He left the door open to it being introduced," Labor senator Murray Watt asked.
"I disagree," Minister Cash replied.
The federal government first pledged to legislate the watchdog prior to its shock 2019 election, but has insisted the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed its introduction.
Its model would subject police to public hearings, but would exempt politicians and their staff. The proposed commission would also have limited powers to launch its own investigations.
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Finn McHugh
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
