Corruption: Who Cares? Launched in Australia

12/11/2003

Seventy people were at the Australian centre for Initiaves of Change on 30 October 2003 for the Public Forum and launch of Brian Lightowler's book published by CIB called Corruption: Who Cares?

Seventy people were at the Australian centre for Initiaves of Change on 30 October 2003 for the Public Forum and launch of Brian Lightowler's book published by CIB called Corruption: Who Cares?

The book was launched by Henry Bosch, formerly Chairman of the National Companies and Securities Commission and now Chairman of Transparency International Australia (TI). He said, "There is a growing number of people who say that they care about corruption, but there are few who care enough to do something about it," he said. Quoting the recent World Bank report on the threat of corruption to successful development in Indonesia and the rash of news items regarding international terrorist cells in Australia he said these and other events are a "wake-up call for any Australian citizen who thought Australia was insulated from terrorism and its constant companion, crime".

Jim Carlton, management consultant and former Secretary-General of Red Cross, Australia, said his experience in the developing world and more recently in Papua New Guinea showed him "the utterly destructive effect corruption has on the lives of ordinary citizens". He said that trust and the security of private possessions and property, however small, were vital in the fight against corruption.

Thirty copies of the book were sold following wide-ranging comments and questions from the audience.