Media Release

Senator John Faulkner

11/2009
18 March 2009

Opposition Blocks Electoral Reform - Again

The Liberal and National Parties have, for the fifth time in less than a year, moved to block greater integrity in Australia’s electoral laws.

The Opposition, combined with Senator Fielding, this morning voted against allowing debate on the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Political Donations and Other Measures) Bill 2009.

Over the past 10 months the Opposition has consistently moved to block the measures contained in this Bill:

• In June 2008, the Opposition referred the Bill to committee for more than 12 months;
• In the Committee report, which reported ahead of time in October, Opposition members recommended that the measures should be delayed further;
• The Opposition and Senator Fielding blocked the Bill in the Senate last week;
• On Monday, in the House of Representatives, the Opposition voted against the Bill; and
• This morning, the Opposition, again with Senator Fielding, delayed debate until at least May, a full 12 months after the reforms were first introduced.

The Opposition continues to hide behind procedural arguments, rather than engage in debate on the substance on the Bill, which would among other measures, lower the donation disclosure threshold from $10,900 to $1000; ban overseas donations; and prevent profiteering from public funding.

Why has the Opposition, despite publicly professing to support campaign finance reform, stood out against greater transparency and accountability?

Perhaps the answer was made clear in the Liberal Party submission to the Green Paper on Donations, Funding and Expenditure where they state: “Our current electoral system is working well, and the case for change has not been demonstrated.”

The only consistent policy position the Liberals appear to have is to oppose greater integrity in our electoral laws.

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Last Updated: 9 June, 2009