Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Political Donations and Other Measures) Bill 2009 contains measures to address critical weaknesses in the Commonwealth Electoral Act relating to the funding and disclosure regime. These weaknesses have been identified by the green paper and by reports of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, which I have had the honour to be on since being elected to this House. While I appreciate the sincere and thoughtful remarks of the member for Gippsland and some of the ideas that he raised about capping and fixed terms, this bill is essential because it reverses the regressive amendments that were made very deliberately by the Howard government to the Electoral Act—changes made in my view for the partisan benefit of the coalition parties. The previous government’s changes were motivated by a desire to help supporters who make large donations to the Liberal Party without disclosure.

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