POLITICIANS WHO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC

It is time to take action against dishonest politicians, and it would not be difficult.

Most members of the public see honesty as a core value in our society.  In personal dealings, dishonesty on matters of any significance is rightly regarded as an unacceptable breach of standards.  In commerce, section 52 of the Trade Practices Act prohibits companies from engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct.

Politicians fill a vital role in our society.  Why should the behaviour of politicians fall short of the standards Parliament has set for business, and which we all set for ourselves? 

There are many different ways of lying.  Notoriously, telling only part of the truth is a way of misleading the unwary.  It is the way generally favoured by politicians, because it is less easily exposed than a direct falsehood.  In Parliament, politicians are not allowed to mislead the house.  They should not be allowed to mislead the public – they are the servants of the public, paid from the public purse, and representing the public interest.

Most people believe politicians lie.  Some politicians lie more than others.  It is not a trivial problem.  Every time politicians lie to us, they betray the public in a fundamentally important way. 

But honesty in politicians is important for another reason.  Politicians’ vision for the future generally does not extend past the next election.  Anything over that magic horizon is put aside for another time, unless it is worth some votes.  If politicians could be punished for misleading and deceptive conduct, they would have to confront long-term problems much sooner.

Global warming is a recent, although possibly a contentious, example.  The science concerning global warming has been clear at least since the Independent Panel on Climate Change Report of 1995.  Politicians confronted with the scientific evidence have a future choices:  they can say they believe it is true and that there is a problem;  they can say they do not believe it is true, and that there is not a problem;  or they can say that they do not know or do not care.  But if the opinion they express is not an opinion they truly hold, then they mislead us.  If politicians were forced to express an honest opinion – that is to say an opinion they honestly hold – rather than one peddled by vested interests or lobbyists, we may have begun the conversation about global warming a decade ago. 

Enforcing honesty in politicians would help extend the policy horizon beyond the next election.

Several commentators have dismissed the idea of a law which would punish politicians for engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct.  Laurie Oakes suggested that it should be judged and dealt with at elections.  Unfortunately, this is no solution at all.  It has been shown repeatedly that it does not work.  The reason is simple.  A vote at an election is dictated by many things, only one of which is an assessment of the candidate’s honesty.  Generally speaking, a candidate whose dishonesty has been exposed will nevertheless be supported in the election if he or she offers a sufficient inducement – lower interest rates, higher Centrelink benefits, or whatever. 

By contrast, Courts have vast experience in judging whether a person has engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct.  It is a question which courts can abnd should decide.  One thing is certain: if it is possible for a politician to be jailed for misleading the public, we will hear a lot more truth from them.  That has to be a good thing.