Media Release – Political Donations

Media Release | 1 February 2022 

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today called for an urgent status update on the promised State-based political donations disclosure regime.

“Today the Australian Electoral Commission’s Annual Disclosures Returns for 2020-21 revealed eye-watering amounts of political donations received by political parties federally,” Ms Webb said.

“The bulk of these donations come from industries that stand to gain from government policy, such as pharmaceutical, mining, property development, fossil fuels, and gambling.

“It is not just the shocking amount of identified private and corporate money pouring into political party coffers – equally shocking is that the vast majority of donations remain hidden beneath the high disclosure threshold.

Ms Webb said this shines the spotlight back onto the long-overdue Tasmanian state-based political donations disclosure reforms.

“Following the controversial 2018 election, Tasmanians were promised state political donations reform. 

“After yet another election, Tasmania remains the only State or territory without its own comprehensive disclosure legislation covering both Assembly and Legislative Council elections.

“We urgently need an update on the status of the 2021 Electoral Disclosure and Funding Bill 2021 Exposure Draft – and a commitment from the Premier that legislation will be prioritised in the first session of Parliament this year.”

Ms Webb said the submissions from public consultation on the State Exposure Draft Bill, which closed September, 2021, have yet to be published.

“Nor is there a timeline for which we can expect a consultation report or revised Bill.

“I’m calling on the Gutwein Government to immediately detail when we can expect to see the revised Bill and its proposed parliamentary timetable.

“Parliament needs to prioritise debate on any revised Bill to ensure any implementation funding is provided for in the May Budget, as well as ensure that the inaugural disclosure reporting period can commence from the next financial year.

“The Government must also commit to delivering rigorous, nation-leading and gold-standard political donation reform, including the disclosure threshold of $1000 aggregate in line with the majority of interstate jurisdictions, and meaningful real-time disclosure requirements.

“Additionally, we must prohibit political donations from those sectors that may seek to influence policy outcomes for financial gain.”

Ms Webb said in NSW, property developers and gaming and liquor interests are banned from donation. In Queensland and the ACT, property developers are banned.

“Tasmania has waited long enough for real-time and meaningful transparency over who pays what to whom.  These AEC returns provide thousands of reasons for urgent state action.”

Ms Webb’s submission to the 2021 Electoral Disclosure and Funding Bill 2021 Exposure Draft consultation process called for:

• Election donations disclosures threshold of $1000
• Timely donation disclosures requirements that ensure all election donations are publicly disclosed by polling day
• Caps on election expenditure, and donations
• Bans on corporate donations from specific sectors

See more of Meg’s recent media.