Media release – Ella Haddad MP, Shadow Attorney General, 16 November 2023
Labor committed to further reform as Donations Reform Bill passed
Tasmania is a step closer to real transparency on political donations after passage of the Donations Reform Bill today.
Labor has been fighting for the introduction of a strong framework to govern Tasmania’s political donations laws for more than five years.
While the reforms passed today do not go far enough, Labor’s decision to support the Bill means we will finally have some form of transparency around political donations.
The Premier now needs to show he is truly serious about reform and ensure the bill comes into force as soon as possible, including providing the TEC the support they need to implement the bill.
Labor remains committed to further reform and will introduce a Private Members Bill as soon as possible to strengthen the legislation, and we will take that policy to the next election.
This will include the amendments we had previously foreshadowed including lowering the donation threshold to $1000, real time reporting of donations to parties and MPs, as well as spending caps for lower house elections.
Without these changes, Tasmania will continue to have the worst donation laws in the country.
Tasmania needs transparency in our state elections and voters have the right to know about donations political parties and candidates receive and how much is spent on elections.
Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 16 November 2023
Australia’s Weakest Political Donations Laws Pass Parliament
Tasmania will finally have political donations laws but they will be the weakest in the nation. Thanks to the major parties’ team effort, the set of reforms that have passed will do little to improve integrity and transparency.
The Liberals deserve plenty of harsh criticism for these pathetic laws, but after ten years of anti-democratic behaviour we’d expect nothing less from them. Labor on the other hand had promised so much, but delivered absolutely nothing except political self-interest.
With the Liberals in minority in both houses, this was an unprecedented opportunity for real reform to electoral laws – to ensure transparency, integrity, and fairness in our democracy. Rather than taking this opportunity, Labor backed the Liberals instead and voted against strengthening these laws.
Labor can come up with whatever convenient excuse they like for their broken promise to Tasmanians, but the fact is there was a pathway to this legislation passing without the government’s support.
We don’t buy Labor’s argument for voting against strengthening these laws, especially given their vested interest in keeping the status quo. In the past five years they’ve received $4.5 million dollars in secret donations, and under these laws they will still have the ability to rake in huge amounts of dark money.
We still won’t know who pays the Liberals and Labor to sing their tune The secret MOU the Labor party struck with the pokies lobby after the 2018 election is just one example of influence at work. Little wonder both parties voted against banning donations from the gambling and tobacco corporations, and property developers.
Unlike both major parties, the Greens will continue to stick to our principles and fight for laws that deliver the transparent and fair democracy that Tasmanians want and deserve.
