The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has called for stricter political donation disclosure laws after more revelations of dirty pokies money flowing to the major parties.
At a Tasmanian level, he will call on Premier Will Hodgman to commit to ending Federal Hotels’ exclusive right to operate pokies in Tasmania at the earliest possible date of 30 June 2018.
Mr Wilkie said the revelation that the pokies industry gave at least $75,000 to support the re-election of Liberals’ Kevin Andrews – the chief architect of his party’s industry-approved pokies policy – highlighted the urgent need for political donation disclosure reform.
Dirty money
“In my opinion these huge donations are made with the expectation of payback,’’ Mr Wilkie said.
“And the pokies industry hit the jackpot with these donations to the Menzies 200 Club, a fundraising body supporting Mr Andrews.
“This is dirty money and Australia’s weak political donation disclosure laws make the donations little different to handing over great wads of cash in a brown paper bag.
“We need much lower thresholds for donation disclosure and much shorter timeframes for reporting.’’
Mr Wilkie will also call on Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman to end Federal Hotels’ exclusive right to operate pokies in the State.
Licence to print money
“In 2003 the then Labor State Government gifted Federal Hotels a licence to print money in the Deed of Agreement which grants exclusive rights to Federal Hotels to operate gaming machines in Tasmania,’’ Mr Wilkie said.
“The agreement expires on 30 June 2018 and the Minister has the discretion not to renew the five-year rolling term on that date.
“Last month I wrote to Mr Hodgman requesting confirmation of this power and whether it would be exercised or the agreement extended to 2023.’’
Mr Wilkie said in light of this week’s revelation that the pokies industry gave $75,000 to a body to support the re-election of Liberals’ Kevin Andrews as he was drafting the party’s pokies policy, the Tasmanian Liberal Party must reveal any gambling donations it has accepted as it considers any new licence in Tasmania.
Mr Wilkie said he was still waiting for answers from the Premier and, after the revelation last week that Federal Hotels’ Wrest Point had again been fined for faulty poker machines, the public deserved answers.
“Given Mr Hodgman’s criticism in opposition to the secretive process and costly outcome of the agreement negotiated in 2003, and the Liberal Party’s commitment in opposition to introduce $1 bet limits on gaming machines, I believe the Tasmanian people deserve an explanation of the Government’s intentions after June 2018,’’ he said.
Mr Wilkie will also call on the Premier to reveal whether the audit of Federal Hotels’ poker machines for faults will be an in-house snow job or an independent review.
• John Hawkins in Comments: Andrew. Please add to your list of political donations the $50,000 given to the Liberal Party by Gunns Ltd three weeks after the Tasmanian Senator Erich Abetz was made Minister of Forests in the then Howard government. This munificent gesture was presumably made with the aim of protecting the Gunns nitens and bluegum MIS scam. The result – investors lost millions of dollars as Abetz led the charge on behalf of the industry to protect and promote their industry, an industry totally reliant on what has proved to be a scam …
• mr t in Comments: A good explanation of the (mainly) Liberal Party’s use of loopholes in yesterday’s Fairfax media. There is a $13k indexed limit. A donor can make a $12,999 donation to each state on 30 June and 1 July without any disclosure. Monies can also be paid to a myriad of LP fronts like Hockey’s North Sydney Club or Andrew’s AHA donation. Let the judiciary or AFP draft the legislation for this and travel allowances. I reckon we might just get compliance or a few more beads of perspiration at least.
• Chris in Comments: … Let’s look at the donation books!
