How much political parties received in the 2020-21 financial year

The premier cannot confirm whether Tasmania’s electoral donation reforms will be in place by the start of the next financial year as the government is accused of ‘dragging their heels’.

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has been unable to confirm whether Tasmania’s electoral donation reforms will be in place by the start of the next financial year, promising a bill will be introduced to parliament in the first half of the year.

On Tuesday, Upper House MP Meg Webb called for legislation to be prioritised after the Australian Electoral Commission made public how much Tasmania’s major parties had received in the 2020-21 financial year.

Independent MP Meg Webb says the government needs to crack down harder on dodgy political donations. Picture: Kenji Sato

It was revealed the Tasmanian division of the Liberal Party received $3.4m in donations, but only disclosed $260,000, while Tasmanian Labor disclosed $180,160 of the $1.17m it received and the Tasmanian Greens received $877,047, disclosing $219,613.

Parties are currently only required to disclose donations over $14,300, but under proposed new laws, that would drop to $5000.

But there’s uncertainty around exactly when the bill will go before parliament.

“It will certainly be introduced this year, and it will be my expectation it will be introduced in the first half of the year,” Mr Gutwein said.

Greens leader Cassy O'Connor. Picture: Kenji Sato

Greens Leader Cassy O’Connor accused the government of stalling.

“It’s completely unsurprising the Liberals continue to drag their heels on electoral reform,” Ms O’Connor said.

“We saw in the AEC returns just this week that they didn’t declare` the source of more than $3 million in donations.

“They’ve resisted the need for change because they benefit most from the status quo.”

Ms O’Connor said Tasmania’s laws would still be the weakest in the country, with the disclosure threshold in New South Wales and Victoria of $1000.

“Big mining, gambling, developers and polluting companies will still be able to make political donations, and there’ll still be a democracy-damaging lack of transparency about the dark money pouring in to the major parties from vested interests.” Ms O’Connor said.

Premier Peter Gutwein during the Covid update at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

Mr Gutwein said Tasmania's threshold would be slight below South Australia’s.

“In terms of disclosure of donations, it’s important, you’ve got to manage public funding with that,” Mr Gutwein said.

“The lower you take with that the disclosure threshold, then there is an argument for a higher level of public funding.

“We are a small jurisdiction and we will have a relatively high level of public funding as a result regardless.”

Political donation laws slammed as lacklustre disclosures revealed - February 1

Tasmania’s rules around political donations are once again under scrutiny after the amount received by Tasmania’s major parties was revealed by the Australian Electoral Commission on Tuesday.

Currently parties are only required to disclose individual donations of over $14,300.

Figures on the Australian Electoral Commission website reveal the Tasmanian division of the Liberal Party received $3.4m in donations, but only disclosed $260,000 in the 2020-21 financial year.

Among the donations and receipts, the party received $25,000 from Australian Pathology, $16,500 from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and $50,000 from a Richard Smith from Victoria.

The Tasmanian branch of the Labor Party received $1.17m but only disclosed $180,160.

Donations included $103,750 from Erin Bromfield, $35,253 from the Health and Community Services Union and $25,000 from Bti Pty Ltd, which runs the Sky Bus.

Meanwhile, the Tasmanian branch of the Greens received $877,047, disclosing $219,613, $165,116 from the Australian Greens and $54,497 bequest from the estate of Elspeth Hope-Johnstone.

Parliament House, Hobart Waterfront, Tasmania. Picture: Richard Jupe

The State Government is in the process of political donation reforms, with the final report of the Electoral Act review released in February last year.

Under the proposed reforms, donation of more than $5000 would need to be disclosed and donations would be declared every six months at minimum.

Independent member for Nelson Meg Webb said an urgent update was needed on the reforms

“Following the controversial 2018 election, Tasmanians were promised state political donations reform,” Ms Webb said.

“After yet another election, Tasmania remains the only State or territory without its own comprehensive disclosure legislation covering both Assembly and Legislative Council elections.

“We urgently need an update on the status of the 2021 Electoral Disclosure and Funding Bill 2021 Exposure Draft … and a commitment from the Premier that legislation will be prioritised in the first session of parliament this year.”

Independent MLC for Nelson Meg Webb.

Ms Webb said the majority of disclosed donations were from industries that stood to gain from government policy.

Greens Leader Cassy O’Connor said proposed changes would not be enough to strengthen laws.

“The Gutwein Government’s much delayed proposal, on the other hand, only sets the disclosure threshold to $5,000, and sets no donation cap or expenditure cap,” Ms O’Connor said.

“The Liberals’ bill would still leave Tasmania with the weakest political donation laws in the country.”

A government spokesperson said a five-week consultation period on the draft Bills concluded in September and a bill would be introduced to parliament this year.

“The reforms will increase transparency and fairness and is the right thing to do, to ensure that the public continues to have faith in the outcomes of elections into the future,” the spokesperson said.

“We believe the Bill strikes the right balance and builds upon the existing provisions already contained within the Electoral Act.”