Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is absolutely imperative that it is linked to this debate, because in this legislation we are increasing the threshold for disclosure levels. The minister at the table should know what we are actually debating. Part of it is about an increase in thresholds. That will mean that a lot of that fundraising activity that is occurring, where parliament is being used by the Liberal Party as a major fundraiser, will not be disclosed under the increased thresholds. They will not be required to do that. The thresholds will be increased to $10,000. The $1,000 a head on a minister’s table and $600 a head on a backbencher’s table will all be hidden. We will have the best politicians that money can buy, but we are not going to be able to see the money that buys them. We are not going to have transparency and openness.

That is where there is a second leg in this legislation, which I regard as putrid legislation. As the member for Batman pointed out, political fundraising is occurring that supplements public funding and entitlements. This is the third level. I call it the invisible money.

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