Media Release – Shock Labor Betrayal over Political Donations Reforms
View the below video clip from the Legislative Council proceedings during which Indpendent for Nelson, the Hon Meg Webb MLC responds to Labor’s announcement they will not move, nor support other MLCs’, amendments to the government’s Electoral Disclosure and Funding Bill, Thursday the 19th October 2023.
Ms Webb’s media release on this matter is also available, below the video clip.
Shock Labor Betrayal on Political Donations Reform
Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today accused the Labor Party of betraying the Tasmanian community over political donation reform.
“The Liberal government’s long-delayed and flawed Electoral Disclosure and Funding Bill is set to be waved through the Upper House by the Labor Party,” Ms Webb said.
“Shockingly, the Labor Party has announced it will not move nor support amendments – despite having worked with community and expert stakeholders over the last twelve months to develop those very amendments.
“The Legislative Council was witness today to one of the most deplorable, shameful and gutless political capitulations and blame-shifting I have ever seen.”
Ms Webb said Labor took the extraordinary step of complaining about Government obstruction to delivering robust political donation reforms and then announced it would meekly go along with the Government’s flawed proposal.
“Labor chose to betray the community at the 11th hour, abrogating its responsibility as elected representatives of the Tasmanian people by backflipping on its earlier commitments to move amendments and also refused to support any other amendments moved.
“There was every chance the Upper House would have passed lowering the Liberal Government’s disclosure threshold of $5000 to $1000, but the Labor Party sided with the government to obstruct that potential improvement.
“We could have introduced measures to ensure all donations were disclosed by polling day, that expenditure and donation caps introduced, as well as the much-needed Truth-in-Advertising provisions.
“Instead, the only thing today’s capitulation and betrayal by Labor has guaranteed is that Tasmania’s reputation of having the worst political donations disclosure laws remains.
Ms Webb said she was utterly astonished by Labor’s decision.
“I am outraged on behalf of stakeholders who worked with Labor in good faith to develop meaningful amendments and had very real hopes that we would seize this opportunity and introduce significant reforms to the government’s Bill.
“After the travesty of Labor party spinelessness on the gaming bill in 2021, I thought I could never be so thoroughly disgusted by nakedly self-serving political calculation destroying values, evidence and good governance.
“I was wrong.
“As for the suggestion that the Government might seek to block an amended donations bill should it come back to the Lower House, the only option is for the Government to immediately commit to not doing so.
“My understanding is that it would be entirely against in the House of Assembly for an amended bill not to be brought on for debate immediately – Labor is jumping at shadows,” Ms Webb said.
