Democratic governance: improving the institutions of accountability

Abstract

There is no doubt that the concept of accountability forms one of the cornerstones of any democratic society. Without appropriate checks and balances even the most well intentioned institutions in a democracy could fail to act in the best interests of the society of which they form a part. The ideas that I wish to canvass with you this evening do not detract from this starting point. Accountability is a central plank of many of the Coalition's policies. In my area of responsibility this has been made explicitly clear. When the Government came to power in 1996 it took action to restore community confidence in the administration of the migration program by implementing initiatives to improve accountability and achieve procedural reform. Similarly, the Coalition's policy on post-immigration settlement also made it clear that accountability to the community through consultation was critical to the Government's ability to ensure that resources are distributed responsibly, for the purpose intended, and in accordance with objectively assessable criteria and mandatory accountability requirements. Having said that what I wish to raise for your consideration tonight is that one of the greatest challenges facing the Government today is its obligation to the community to achieve an appropriate and workable balance between accountability which ensures justice and protection for individuals affected by Government decision making and actions on one hand and practical, efficient and lawful administration on the other. A number of different accountability mechanisms operate in respect of contemporary Government. While these mechanisms are vitally necessary to safeguard individuals from arbitrary or unlawful administrative action, the Government considers it crucial that any overlap or duplication of services between accountability mechanisms be minimised to maintain community confidence, avoid unnecessary expense, ensure complementarity, and prevent misuse by individuals who engage accountability mechanisms for improper purposes - for example, in the immigration context solely to delay removal from Australia.