New donations laws come into effect but fuller transparency still forthcoming

A rush of donations to avoid new disclosure laws and the timing of the July 19 state election mean voters will still remain in the dark about who provides the bulk of funding for political parties.

Greens MP Tabatha Badger speaks to the media on Parliament Lawns in Hobart on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.

A rush of donations to avoid new disclosure laws and the timing of the July 19 state election mean voters will still remain in the dark about who provides the bulk of the funding for their political parties.

Tasmania has long lagged the nation, but the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act came into operation on Tuesday and creates a new state-based donations disclosure scheme including the requirement that reportable political donations are disclosed to the TEC within seven days of being made during the election campaign period.

And whole-campaign returns are due within 60 days.

New political donations laws are now in effect in Tasmania. Picture: NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

Greens Member for Lyons Tabatha Badger said it was a major step forward for transparency.

‘While this important reform means donations over $1000 will be made public for the remainder of this campaign, we are calling on both major parties to follow the Greens’ lead by voluntarily disclosing donations made prior to 1 July,” she said.

“It’s the right thing to do by Tasmanians.

“The major parties have been able to keep political donations secret from the public for too long.

“It’s meant big corporates like salmon farming companies, the pokies lobby and developers have been able to influence government policy behind closed doors.

Ms Badger said she believed there had been a rush in donations before the new laws came into effect.

“We know the Liberal and Labor parties have spent the first weeks of the election raking in big sums ahead of 1 July.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“We hear Labor in particular has tried to beat the 1 July start time, by hosting an expensive fundraising dinner last week.

“With a major party reportedly filling a room with vested interests paying a price of thousands of dollars a head, and who knows how much more flowing in from other sources, there is a serious problem. What does Labor have to hide from Tasmanian voters?”

Independent MLC Meg Webb said this election would still be marred by the old regimen.

“Under the new laws political donations of $1000 must be disclosed within a seven day period to the TEC. The Commission then has up to a further seven days by which to make those disclosures public,” she said.

Labor leader Dean Winter. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“This potential 14 day time lag means donations of $1000 or more made today may not become public until the 14th of July, and any donations received on or later than the 6th of July may not be made public until after polling day on the 19th.

“That is clearly an enormous loophole inconsistent with community demand for greater transparency and timely disclosure.”

Premier Jeremy Rockliff rejected calls for the major parties to disclose all of their donations for the entire election campaign.

“We’ll be complying with the law,” he said.

Labor leader Dean Winter said much the same: “we will we comply with all of the laws when it comes to disclosure,” he said.

Originally published as New donations laws come into effect but fuller transparency still forthcoming