Statement from Dr Sophie Scamps, Independent for Mackellar
Support for Liberal MP's call for independent infrastructure body
I support calls from outgoing Liberal MP for Bennelong John Alexander, for an independent body to oversee infrastructure funding decisions in Australia. If elected as the Independent MP for Mackellar I will push for this reform, also supported by Reserve Bank governor Phillip Lowe, as taxpayers and all hard-working Australians deserve much better.
As Mr Alexander has rightly pointed out, transport and infrastructure funding has been used as a political plaything for too long now as desperate politicians try to buy the votes of hard-working Australians. The result of this short-termism has been taxpayer money funding rorts like Scott Morrison's commuter car park scheme instead of projects which are in the national interest.
I also welcome Mr Alexander's call for a national anti-corruption commission and echo his disappointment that the current Parliament has been unable to act in the nation's best interest by establishing a federal anti-corruption watchdog. It will be one of my first priorities if elected.
Too often, politicians in major parties only support common sense reforms when they leave office. If we want to see change such as an independent infrastructure body and a national anti-corruption body established, we need more independents in Parliament.
