Webb Dares Premier to Fast-Track Political Donations Reforms

With speculation mounting about an early Tasmanian state election, independent Member for Nelson in the Legislative Council, Meg Webb, is calling for urgent implementation of new political donations disclosure laws to ensure transparency and integrity are upheld during the campaign period.

Webb is urging Tasmania’s Liberal Government to bring forward key provisions of the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023, which are scheduled to commence on 1 July 2025.

The Act, passed in late 2023 and amended in April 2024, introduces various reforms to Tasmania’s political donations regime. These include lowering the disclosure threshold to $1,000, prohibiting anonymous and foreign donations, and banning cash donations of $100 or more.

Tasmania is the only state or territory in the Australian Commonwealth that does not yet have political donation laws … until this Act is in operation.

“The public was promised these reforms would be in place before the next election,” Webb said. “It would insult Tasmanians to go to the polls yet again without knowing who is funding whom.”

Webb’s comments reflect widespread frustration among voters, disillusioned by repeated early elections and a perceived lack of political accountability. She argues that activating the new laws ahead of schedule would send a powerful message of good faith and commitment to transparency from the government.

The reforms require that any political donation of $1,000 or more, made or received during an election period, be reported to the Tasmanian Electoral Commission (TEC) within seven days and made public. Webb believes there is no logistical barrier to fast-tracking these provisions, particularly with less than a month until their scheduled start date.

However, she also acknowledges that if the Tasmanian Electoral Commission (TEC) is unable to accommodate an earlier start, the government should still honour the July 1 commencement date.

“There is no acceptable reason to push back these reforms again,” she said. “If integrity in politics truly matters to our leaders, they should act now.”

As Tasmanians brace for the possibility of yet another early election, the question remains whether voters will finally have access to real-time information about who is influencing the political process through donations. For Webb and many in the community, the answer lies in immediate action—not more delay.