Establishing an effective federal ICAC is only the start for independent ACT Senate candidate Kim Rubenstein who is now running on a wide-ranging "integrity agenda" platform.
In a move to differentiate herself from the other progressive challengers in the tight ACT senate race, the Harvard-trained lawyer and academic has told The Canberra Times she is uniquely placed to ensure integrity is front and centre in the 47th Parliament.
Professor Rubenstein said institutional frameworks essential to a functioning liberal democracy have been stretched or eroded, something she regards as "insidious".
In a four-pronged platform with a federal integrity commission, she wants to ensure the enforcement of freedom of information laws, help bring an end to any political "stacking" of independent tribunals and rebuild and better resource the office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
"I think we are at the lowest point in terms of integrity in our system," she said. "I want to do something that is fundamental to restoring integrity in the entire system."
"We are at the stage where we need an independent commission against corruption, but it's largely because of the erosion of those institutional frameworks.
"So I'm saying we need to do more than the ICAC."
Professor Rubenstein is seeking to unseat either Labor frontbencher Katy Gallagher or Liberal minister Zed Seselja, and is vying to be the main challenger in a grouping with independent candidate and former Wallabies captain David Pocock and Greens candidate Tjanara Goreng Goreng.
She points to the first Freedom of Information Commissioner appointed a month ago after seven years with no one in the position.
"That says a lot about a commitment to processing FOI," she said. "We've had significant delays in FOI applications. We've got a reduction of the numbers of the amount of approvals of release of information."
"The government errs on the side of non-disclosure and a FOI system really should have an erring on the side of disclosure to affirm transparency in government."
The aspirant Senate crossbencher also points to the recent political appointments, ahead of caretaker mode, to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and said the ombudsman's office was so overloaded it is "unable to fully fulfil its parliamentary role of accountability."
"It becomes insidious when those actual frameworks, which are very liberal democratic frameworks, are not given the importance that they deserve," she said. "And that's why we've got to this point where we really do need an independent commission against corruption."
Like Mr Pocock, Professor Rubenstein backs the legislative model from independent member for Indi Helen Haines for a federal integrity commission.
"Any attempt by others to amend it, I'll be able to provide a source of real analysis for the parliament itself," she pledged.
"The framework that I'll be bringing will be really one that secures accountability and transparency."
The constitutional expert has already stated her first legislative action, if elected, would be to introduce a bill to double the ACT's senate representation to four, but Professor Rubenstein is now pledging the pursuit of integrity will be her priority focus.
