Australians want — and deserve — to know who is funding their politicians. The inadequate regulation of political donations poses a danger to Australian democracy, with the Commonwealth’s weak donations laws resulting in some $1.7 billion in ‘hidden’ or ‘dark’ money flowing into the system since 1998/1999.
News of a significantly reduced disclosure threshold and real-time disclosure are essential to redressing the current transparency deficit and bolstering public trust. The holistic reform framework set out by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters is required to address the real, and perceived, influence of wealth on our electoral process.
However, as the window to legislate these critical reforms in this term of Parliament grows ever smaller, we have come together to urge the Government to ensure there is genuine and transparent consultation in respect of its long-awaited reform Bill.
Genuine consultation, as the recent South Australian experience confirms, can result in very substantial improvements and is essential for significant electoral reform. A robust, expert statutory review process must be included in any reform package so that parliament can assess the impact of these important reforms and make improvements in the future.
“Caps on donations, campaign expenditure and greater transparency will help reduce the unfair influence of industries like gambling, fossil fuel and rich individuals have had over our democracy. Changes must also ensure independent and minor party candidates are not unfairly disadvantaged,” said Clancy Moore, CEO of Transparency International Australia.
“These reforms respond to the problem of real and perceived influence of money on politics – a scourge on our democracy liable to undermine public trust and drive decision making away from the public interest. In responding to these problems, we must ensure that we guarantee a level playing field for all participants, including by addressing the advantages of incumbency,” said Dr Catherine Williams, Executive Director, Centre for Public Integrity.