Still no move on political donations, but Premier Will Hodgman is ‘serious’ about reform

Premier Will Hodgman says his government is serious about electoral reform in Tasmania.

PREMIER Will Hodgman says his government is serious about electoral reform in Tasmania but will not say whether the donation threshold should be lowered because “political parties come from a particular position of self-interest”.

Political parties in Tasmania are only required to declare the source of donations worth $13,800 or more — the highest threshold in Australia but on par with the requirements of the Commonwealth.

Less than one quarter of the $4.1 million in donations the Tasmanian Liberals received ahead of the 2018 state election could be tracked to a source.

Party state director Sam McQuestin has twice backed the current threshold as appropriate, despite an ongoing government review into the Electoral Act. Other states’ thresholds range from $1000 to $5000.

Mr Hodgman today said Tasmanians had been invited to have their say on whether the current laws were working.

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman at the Museum of Old and New Art on Monday. Picture: AAP/Rob Blakers

“I certainly don’t believe it’s appropriate for one political party or the other to dictate the terms of any electoral reform because it could be said that political parties come from a particular position of self-interest,” Mr Hodgman said.

“That’s why we’ve opened this up for wide consultation.

“We want to conclude the process and we’ll have more to say about what we think and the right ways forward in the not too distant future.”

Mr Hodgman’s comments came after the Tasmanian Liberals were urged to return $30,000 in donations linked to a Chinese businessman reportedly barred from re-entering the country after intelligence agencies investigated his business and political ties.

Companies linked to Huang Xiangmo donated the funds to the party in 2016.

“All donations in my view accepted by the Liberal party, and certainly any other political party, should be done in accordance with the law,” Mr Hodgman said.

“I’m not aware of any laws being breached.”

The majority of Labor’s $1.1 million in funds in 2017-18 were also not declared, while the Greens declared the source of all of their donations on their website.

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