STATE-BASED DONATION REFORM BACK ON THE AGENDA

The Tasmanian Greens today said that the time for comprehensive state-based political donation reform had arrived, after the release of a disappointing and half-baked reform plan by the Federal Government.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said the Greens stood ready to work with Labor at the state level to deliver the comprehensive suite of reforms that was needed to increase the transparency of political campaign funding.

“Labor in Tasmania now has extra incentive to act, because Federal Labor’s reform package is just pathetic,” Mr McKim said

“The Attorney General has indicated support for real-time donations disclosure and a cap on spending, which is great, but we really do need to see legislation this year.”

“Tasmania is one of the few remaining states without separate state-based political donations disclosure laws.”

“For too long, political parties have used loopholes in the existing disclosure laws to keep the details of their political donations a secret.”

“There is no excuse for Tasmania to not have a state-based political donation disclosure scheme in place for the next state election, so that voters know who has donated how much to which party of candidate.”

“The Greens’ Cleaning Up Tasmania’s Democracy package sets out a plan to lower the disclosure threshold on donations, ban donations from gaming and tobacco companies, require real-time disclosure of donations and publicly fund parties and candidates.”
Nick McKim MP Greens Leader Wednesday, 29 May 2013