Welcome new Presiding Clerk

NCCA welcomes new Presiding Clerk of the Quaker Yearly meeting, Bruce Henry (pictured right) and look forward to working with him over the next three years.

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) held their 2022 Yearly meeting online, with sessions taking place from 2 - 7 July and Formal Sessions being conducted from 8-10 July.  

Integrity in Public Office action

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) has a Concern for integrity and respectfully speaking truth to power. This Concern began at the formation of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in England in 1652. 

Integrity happens when a person is trustworthy in their responses and they are open about their true motives.

For Quakers, integrity is outwards, in their personal, societal behaviour, as well as inwards, in spiritual practice. We collectively discern what we are called by God or Spirit to do at this time regarding integrity, peace, equality, fairness, unity, care of people and of the earth.        

Quakers ask for greater integrity in public office and the prioritising of decency and the common good through:

• the allocation of grants on the basis of merit, not vote buying;
• the capping of political donations and their declaration in real time;
• the limiting of industry influence in political decision-making when the common good or the environment are not served;
• the legislation of real consequences for politicians/ senior public servants/ appointees who prove to lack integrity; and
• the cessation of time-wasting personal attacks under ‘parliamentary privilege’.

Politicians and their publicly funded advisers are asked to demonstrate a high level of integrity when making decisions in the best interest of Australia’s economic, societal and environmental future.

This is a 2 year project as it takes time to change the subculture in parliamentary environments. Quakers Australia encourage you to contact your federal member of parliament that you want a strong federal Integrity Commission. A proposed bill is expected to be presented in the first two weeks of September

	Above: The group of Quakers during the short action at Parliament House in Canberra, 4 August.

Recent local action:

On Thursday 4 August, in pouring rain, a group of Quakers held a short action "Show Integrity in Public Office" at Parliament House in Canberra. The purpose was, and is to support the new federal government to establish a strong Integrity Commission.

Watch video links:  

• Wies Schuiringa - "Show Integrity in Public Office" at Parliament House in Canberra 
• Quaker Canberra interviews - Show Integrity in Public Office - Parliament House Canberra

Find our more about the public office project by visiting the Integrity in Public Office Project Quakers Australia home page

Join the social media action:

The Quakers support those who also work for greater integrity in public office and welcome others to join them. 

Suggested short social media text: (Twitter 280 characters, including spaces and tags) please ad add the quakersaustralia.info/…….

Support Integrity in Public Office and strong federal Integrity Commission. This action by Quakers in Australia is independent of political parties and of independent parliamentarians. (185)

A lack of integrity in public office causes disrespect, distrust and cynicism in the processes of public office, encourages a further lack of integrity and derails governing for the common good. (194)

Integrity happens when a person is trustworthy in their responses and they are open about their true motives. (109) 

Quakers in Australia are going public with their Testimony to Integrity and are asking the new federal government to be determined to show integrity in public office and establish a strong Integrity Commission. (211)

Quakers in Australia now ask for: the allocation of grants on the basis of merit, not vote buying; the capping of political donations and their declaration in real time. (168) 

Quakers in Australia now ask for: the limiting of industry influence in political decision-making when the common good or the environment are not served (152)  

Quakers in Australia now ask for: the legislation of real consequences for politicians/ senior public servants/ appointees who prove to lack integrity; and the cessation of time-wasting personal attacks under ‘parliamentary privilege’. (234)

Who to tag on Twitter: politicians decision makers current in parliament

• #auspol
• @arrcc1
• @markdreyfusQCMP
• @integritynow2
• @jeromelaxale
• @Dom_Perrottet
• Centre for corporate responsibility
• Adam Bandt
• Albanese
• Chris Bowen
• Helen Haines