Senate debates

Thursday, 1 December 2022

Bills

Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Banning Dirty Donations) Bill 2022; Second Reading

9:38 am

Photo of David PocockDavid Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to commend Senator Waters on the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Banning Dirty Donations) Bill 2022. Clearly, if you want to trigger the major parties, just bring up meaningful political donation reform. This is the inconvenient truth in Australian politics, that we're in a situation where companies are gaming the political system, a system that is about Australians casting their vote and every vote having the same value. That is now being co-opted by companies across this country to buy political influence. Four of the five last federal elections have been won by the major party with the biggest war chest. I would suggest that this is not a direction we want to head down.

Australians want meaningful reform when it comes to political donations. Australians want to know their politicians are making decisions based on what is good for their communities, not just on what may be good for their donor. Senator McGrath talked about how this will limit people being able to participate in democracy and donate. On the contrary, this makes it more accessible to Australians, to actual people. Corporations are not people, and corporations are gaming the political system.

Reading this bill, I tend to think $3,000 per person per term is a fairly level playing field. We don't want to be in a situation where, because you have more wealth, you can donate far more than the average Australian could ever afford to donate. Clearly, when we allow corporations to donate they can outspend almost all but maybe the richest Australians. This is about returning democracy to the Australian people. People in the resources sector, workers who work in mining, making personal donations to the political party of their choice is not the same as resource companies making large political donations to the major parties.

In the last three years the Liberals have accepted just over $2.3 million from fossil fuel companies. Labor have accepted just over $1.1 million. The Nationals have accepted $221,000. That's $3.7 million of money that is clearly influencing the debate on crucial issues like global warming, like this parliament's response to what we're seeing on the news every day now, with worsening climate impacts, with a climate that is breaking down. We're seeing weather we haven't seen before; we're moving into a new climate. Clearly this isn't a good way to make decisions that are going to benefit everyday Australians and future generations.

Political donation reform is something that Australians want. People in communities across the country are calling for it. Today we're seeing the vested interests in the major parties.

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