Ethical responsibility
Those in prominent office should promote those qualities which draw on the best of our traditions and the noblest of our instincts.
The duty of those with public influence is to encourage hope and redemption rather than despair and condemnation, confidence rather than fear. It is to promote the common good – to encourage us to use our talents. It is to respect truth and strengthen learning to withstand the powers of populism and vested or sectional interests. This would set a tone of public discourse which nurtures public institutions
Business cannot hide behind the corporate vale. As the late Bernie Banton reminded us during the dispute with James Hardy over asbestos ‘it is people that make decisions, not corporations’
Areas where we fall short in ethical responsibility include
- Leaders who appeal to our worst instincts, e.g. dog whistling on refugees,
- Media-drenched commercialism and the values it projects.
- Executive salaries,
- Undue influence of vested interests, corporate lobbyists and political donors e.g. NSW ICAC enquiry.
- Those in public office should help the community to deal with difficult problems which may require painful adaptive change, such as climate change, rather than provide the false comfort of ignoring or downplaying them.
John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.