Linda White (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sorry, it's not personal; it's just political. They chose to keep the matter of donations hidden from the public. But the coalition are not the only ones standing in the way of electoral reform. Clearly, there is a major issue when Clive Palmer, a person that Senator Lambie is no doubt familiar with, can spend tens of millions on false and misleading advertising in a brazen attempt to undermine our last two elections. Clearly, there is an issue when a sitting prime minister—Malcolm Turnbull—can donate $1.7 million to his own party in an election campaign and not have to disclose that fact for over a year. So, it's clear that reform is needed around the issue Senator Lambie pointed to—not just around donation reform but also around spending caps and truth-in-advertising laws—but it has to be done right and it has to be done thoroughly, not piecemeal or rushed.

I look forward to the report from the Electoral Matters Committee and seeing what it recommends in relation to all these issues, because I know that the federal government—just like the Labor Party in every state and territory—takes donation reform and principles of transparency seriously. Just look at my home state of Victoria. The Andrews government—a Labor government—has introduced donation reform there. Donations from individuals and organisations are capped on a per annum and four-yearly basis. Foreign donations are banned. There is a regular and transparent reporting system, and the Victorian Electoral Commission is properly funded to manage the increased compliance obligation. I'm not saying the Victorian model is perfect in every way, or that it should necessarily apply to the Commonwealth, because I'm not going to be pre-empting the committee process. Rather, I bring up the Victorian example to show that it is Labor governments that lead on election and donation reform.

Actions speak louder than words. Let's remember who legislated for the National Anti-Corruption Commission. That's why it will be the Labor government that takes the next step in delivering on our proud history of reform to ensure integrity and trust in our political system— (Time expired)