David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Turns out if you want to trigger Labor and the coalition, mention political donations. Out come the wacko conspiracy theories, out comes the love of corporate Australia and out comes one of the strangest arguments that I've heard in this debate. The argument from Labor is what's eroding trust in democracy isn't taking hundreds, thousands or millions of dollars of donations from the fossil fuel industry, the gambling industry, big pharma, defence and the finance industry—that's not what's eroding trust in politics; it's not taking the dirty money—but what's eroding trust in politics is telling the public about it and asking for change. That would have to be one of the most perverse arguments that I've heard against calling for donations reform, but it came from Labor today in this chamber. Then of course we have this wacko, weird conspiracy theory coming from the coalition, obviously triggering some deep emotional problem they have, if you ever suggest we should take them off the teat of corporate Australia.

I commend Senator Waters for bringing this bill, and I commend former senator Rhiannon and so many others who have been campaigning for decades to clean up Australian politics. Do we need to do it? Of course we do. Right now there's a live discussion about the future of coal and gas. The Greens and millions of Australians are trying to keep it in the ground, and there are 114 live proposals for new or expanded coal or gas projects. Of those, at least 56 have made donations to the major parties—and that's just what is on the public record; it's likely to be much more.

We are about to decide key questions on climate policy, and we know that coal and gas has bought their way into this place. In 2020-21 alone, more than $1.1 million of donations were made to Labor and the coalition by fossil fuel companies. Woodside dropped more than $100,000 to the government of the day. Do you reckon they have a seat at the table when we're talking about climate change? Of course they do, because they bought it. Corporations don't give money to politics because they love democracy. Corporations give money to politics because they want to buy outcomes. They want to buy approvals for their coal and gas projects.

If we want to save democracy, if we seriously want to clean up this parliament, this bill is essential. I commend Senator Waters for bringing this bill. I am disturbed at the unhinged response we get from the major parties whenever we mention donations reform. I seek leave to continue my remarks.