Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a question for the Prime Minister. Will your government ban political donations from government contractors?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Matters of donations to the Australian Labor Party—which I'm responsible for—are matters for the organisational wing of the Australian Labor Party. We've made very clear and transparent decisions over issues including the banning of donations from tobacco companies that we made some time ago. We're the only party of government that has made that decision and carried through with it. I understand the concerns that are raised about political advertising in general, and you would be including donations, including the funding of election campaigns. The Special Minister of State, my colleague Senator Farrell, is of course overseeing—and indeed there was an inquiry about these issues in the parliament. That process is of course ongoing.

At the moment in Australia I know that there is debate over the funding of election campaigns—and it has been there for some time—and over whether there should be greater public funding of election campaigns. That, of course, runs up against the fact that that would mean increased costs to taxpayers. That is the basis of the debate that has gone on though. It will continue to occur into the future.