Corruption is alive and well

Corruption is alive and well all over the world. Some Australians think that corruption is something that happens overseas – in Asia, the US or South America. But there are endless examples here. Not only in politics, but also in the corporate world and bureaucracies. Planning permits are much easier for developers to obtain if the application is accompanied by a bag full of money. The Independent Commission Against Corruption in New South Wales, revealed some details about the extent of the problem. But it needs a national investigation to show the full extent of the issue. The recent revelation about a Chinese company paying travel expenses for Sam Dastyari, leader of the Labor opposition in the Senate is just the tip of an iceberg as far as donations to politicians are concerned. Often, special slush fund accounts are set up to which business donate then the money is used for election campaigning. It has been common practice for State Governments to provide special deals to entice companies to transfer their business – so there was nothing unusual in the minimal tax deal offered to Apple to use Ireland as a financial base.

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