Josh Frydenberg opposes independents’ call for public hearings and tip-offs in proposed federal Icac

‘If we have public referrals, then what we will see is the weaponisation of an integrity commission,’ Josh Frydenberg told the ABC’s Insiders program. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, has defended the lack of public hearings in the government’s proposed federal integrity commission, saying he opposes a model that would see politicians “guilty until proved innocent”.

Frydenberg, who is under pressure in his Melbourne seat of Kooyong on the issue of integrity and climate change, said that while he agreed with the need for a federal anti-corruption commission, he disagreed with the independents on two elements – public referrals and public hearings.