NSW voters urged to think about ethics and integrity at the ballot box

Governance Institute of Australia is calling on NSW voters to consider the ethical actions and the integrity of candidates standing for Parliament in this weekend’s State Election.

The Institute’s most recent Ethics Index found state politicians were perceived as the least ethical occupation, falling 12 points in the past year. Federal and local politicians were also in the bottom five.

CEO Megan Motto said given the recent scandals from across the political divide, it’s not surprising that trust in politicians remains low.

‘These results reflect the fact that in recent times, the NSW electorate has been asked by senior political leaders to accept that pork barrelling, branch stacking, corruption, poor behaviour, conflicts of interest and jobs for mates is simply standard practice for those in the corridors of power.’ Ms Motto said.

The Ethics Index also found that the gap between society’s expectations of good ethical conduct and the reality is growing, indicating that institutions are failing to live up to community standards.

‘Good governance and an understanding of ethics and integrity from our leaders should set the bar for organisations across the nation, leading from the top to influence the public and private sectors and the institutions we rely on,’ Ms Motto said.

‘Instead, it can appear that politicians are the ones dragging their heels to keep up with community expectations.’

Ms Motto is urging voters to make the best use of their democratic rights to ensure that turning up at the ballot box is more than just a ‘tick and flick’ exercise.

‘The standard that we walk past is the standard we accept. We have the power to close the ethical gap and force change. The citizens of NSW deserve nothing less.’

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