2nd Sep 2020, 11:29 AM – Senate Electoral Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2020 - Second Reading - Amend donation laws

The same number of senators voted for and against an amendment introduced by South Australian Senator Don Farrell, which means it didn't gain a majority and therefore failed. The amendment would have amended the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time." Reading a bill for a second time is the same as agreeing with the main idea of the bill.

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add:

", but the Senate:

(a) is of the opinion that Australia's electoral system would be strengthened by:

(i) lowering the disclosure threshold for political donations from the current $14,300 to $1,000,

(ii) removing the indexation of the political donation disclosure threshold, and

(iii) requiring recipients of political donations to disclose those donations within seven days;

(b) notes that the Opposition has introduced the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Transparency Measures – Lowering the Disclosure Threshold) Bill 2019 and the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Transparency Measures – Real Time Disclosure) Bill 2019, which, if enacted, would achieve these outcomes;

(c) calls on the Government to support these bills; and

(d) is also of the opinion that Australia's electoral system would be further strengthened by:

(i) implementing caps on political donations and electoral expenditure,

(ii) increasing the rate of public funding concurrently with the implementation of these caps, to reduce the reliance of participants in the political process on political fundraising, and

(iii) introducing administrative funding for parties and elected independents to cover administrative and operating expenses".