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

My question is to the Special Minister of State. Will the minister update the House on the progress of enhancing the integrity of Australia’s political funding disclosure regime?

Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service and Integrity) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Banks for his question. He has had a longstanding interest in electoral reform and in particular in recent years in looking at the matter of political donations and the like. For the last 25 years this parliament has been the beneficiary of insightful legislation introduced in 1984 that brought the first disclosure of political donations. Over the course of the last 2½ decades, we have seen substantial tightening and increased regulation of political party activity, which has thankfully and thoughtfully kept our parliament at the very leading edge of these measures globally. It has meant that our parliament has never faced the criticism or the accusation that donations to political parties seriously pervert the course of deliberations in this place.

But we must be continually vigilant to ensure that our laws and the regulatory environment in which we play are as good as they can be. On two occasions over the past two years the government has introduced a bill designed to increase the transparency of political donations and to reduce the limit from the current over $10,000 for disclosure to $1,000. On both occasions, that legislation passed this place only to be stopped in the Senate. It is because of its knowledge of this parliament that the government, through its commitment to the crossbenchers, will reintroduce the legislation to ensure the $1,000 limit is once again able to be debated in this place. The bill to do that will be introduced in the next few days. That bill will reduce the limit from $10,500 to $1,000.

The bill will also prevent donation splitting between different branches of political parties, will ban foreign donations, will ban anonymous donations of over $50 and will increase the timeliness and frequency of donation disclosure.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And ban unions?

Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service and Integrity) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It will ensure that union donations are disclosed.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney is warned!

Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service and Integrity) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It will ensure that disclosure of donations to both sides of politics is observed in the best possible way. It is a fact that donations to political parties are extremely sensitive matters. It is also the reality that the framework that currently supports our Electoral Act and disclosure is a framework that is supported by all sides of this parliament. The best future framework is best constructed by all sides working together to ensure a solid framework for disclosure and to ensure that the reform of party and campaign financing is done in a way that can be supported by the public and that will support the activities of our political parties. I invite members opposite to engage with the government on the improvement of these laws to ensure that disclosure continues to be something that is both the hallmark of our political process and the benchmark for how we wish to be measured in the community. I invite those opposite to support the bill that will be introduced in the next few days and to engage with the government in future discussion on political party donation disclosure and campaign finance reform.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I could not properly hear the minister. Did he say that union donations would be disclosed?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The Leader of the Opposition will resume his place.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.