Ethical Issues and Scandals in Australian Federal Politics, 2013-2024: Lessons for Combatting Grey Corruption

Tim Prenzler; Janet Ransley

doi:10.1080/10999922.2026.2675830

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Ethical Issues and Scandals in Australian Federal Politics, 2013-2024: Lessons for Combatting Grey Corruption

Journal article

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Ethical Issues and Scandals in Australian Federal Politics, 2013-2024: Lessons for Combatting Grey Corruption

Tim Prenzler and Janet Ransley

Public Integrity, Vol.Advanced access

25-May-2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2026.2675830

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Abstract

corruption

grey corruption

ethics

corruption prevention

Australia

This paper examines the topic of ‘grey corruption’, evidenced in ethical issues and scandals in Australian federal politics during the period of the most recent conservative government from 2013 to 2022. Drawing on public source material, the study shows that the government was mired in a state of almost perpetual scandal involving a wide range of ‘grey corruption’ issues. Attempts to improve the conduct of public officials in this period, beginning in 2017 and during the first term of the subsequent Labor government, evidenced some improvements but these appeared to be largely tokenistic, with ongoing integrity problems a feature of the reform period. The paper highlights the wide gap between public expectations about the conduct of public officials and common practice in Australian politics. Cross-jurisdictional lessons concern the need for clearer prohibitions on unethical conduct and comprehensive enforcement by independent institutions.

Details

Title: Ethical Issues and Scandals in Australian Federal Politics, 2013-2024: Lessons for Combatting Grey Corruption
Authors: Tim Prenzler (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Janet Ransley - Griffith University
Publication details: Public Integrity, Vol.Advanced access
Publisher: Routledge
DOI: 10.1080/10999922.2026.2675830
ISSN: 1558-0989
Copyright note: © 2026 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Organisation Unit: School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991233181402621
Output Type: Journal article

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