Crossbench politicians are pushing for greater transparency in political donations, and truth in political advertising, ahead of the next federal election. The Fair and Transparent Elections Bill aims to increase transparency and level the playing field for elections.
Then-Independent candidate, now MP for Wentworth Kerryn Phelps in front of attack advertising posters in 2018Crossbench politicians are calling for changes to the electoral system, to be legislated in time for the next federal election.
The goal is to increase transparency, ban lies in political advertising, reduce financial influence, and limit political donations."Well, we've been waiting for 18-odd months now for the government to come good on their promise at the election to try to clean up politics. The crossbench in the Greens have joined forces to put a proposal to government to say, look, we can do this today. We could actually bring integrity back to the parliament with these electoral reforms.
Deputy Program Director of Budgets and Government at the Grattan Institute Kate Griffiths says the current donation rules are weak. The bill doesn't include a cap on spending for electoral campaigns, despite some independent MPs pushing for that in the past."I've actually moved a political donation bill twice now during my time in the Parliament, and that bill did in fact, include a cap. However, I'll be upfront with you, I've pulled back from that position, because I think it's very important to allow anyone who wants to participate in the electoral process to to infect participate.