Website update – Australian Electoral Commission, 1 February 2022
2020-21 annual financial disclosure returns
The 2020-21 annual financial disclosure returns from political parties, significant third parties (previously political campaigners), associated entities, donors and third parties that incur electoral expenditure are now available for public inspection.
The annual returns are available on the AEC’s Transparency Register.
Media release – Cassy O’Connor MP, Greens Leader, 1 February 2022
AEC Donations Disclosure Confirms Desperate Need for Electoral Reform
Today’s Australian Electoral Commission donations show the desperate need for electoral reform.
Dark money from vested interests continues to flow in to the major parties, corrupting democracy dollar by dollar.
Despite spending $3.42 million on their campaign, the Tasmanian Liberals only disclosed $260,000 worth of donations – just under 8% of their total expenditure.
Labor, likewise, only disclosed $180,160 – 15% of their total $1.17 million expenditure.
The Greens, however, disclosed $301,498 of our donations.* This is over a third of our total expenditure of $877,047.
The Greens’ Electoral Amendment (Integrity of Elections) Bill 2021 would have significantly improved Tasmania’s weak electoral laws. Sadly, our bill was blocked by the Liberals.
Our bill would have made significant changes, including but not limited to –
• Setting a cap of $3,000 on political donations.
• Only allowing political donations to be made by ‘natural persons’.
• Setting the donation disclosure threshold to $1,000.
• Introduction a real-time disclosure framework.
• Provide an expenditure cap for Assembly elections.
• Introducing ‘truth in political advertising’ laws.
The Gutwein Government’s much delayed proposal, on the other hand, only sets the disclosure threshold to $5,000, and sets no donation cap or expenditure cap.
The Liberals’ bill would still leave Tasmania with the weakest political donation laws in the country.**
The Liberals must listen to the recommendations contained in our submission and the submissions of other individuals and pro-democracy organisations and adopt measures from the Greens’ bill into their final legislation.
If they do not, we will be moving amendments to try to strengthen donations disclosure and restore public trust.
* including the donations published on the Greens’ website
** Details contained in our submission
Media release – Andrew Wilkie MP, 1 February 2022
TASSIE THE POLITICAL DONATION CELLAR DWELLER
The latest Australian Electoral Commission figures on political donations show Tasmania remains a cellar dweller when it comes to disclosing the source of electoral funding.
To Tasmania’s great shame, the AEC figures show the state branch of the Liberal Party disclosed the source of just 7.6 per cent of its annual receipts, or $260,000 out of $3.4 million. State Labor did a little better, disclosing 15.4 per cent.
Despite promised reform, Tasmania still has the weakest political donation laws in the country and it remains a national embarrassment.
The fact is that Tasmania needs at least a $1,000 disclosure threshold, real-time reporting of donations, a cap on the gross amount of donations from any one source during an electoral cycle, and a definition of ‘donation’ that includes any money or activity that materially benefits any party or candidate.
