Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I indicate that I do not support Senator Fielding’s amendment because I believe that is best in relation to the whole issue of political donations and contributions and in terms of public funding as well. I think that what Senator Fielding has raised is an important point: that we need to look at the overall total levels of expenditure for campaigns. Whether or not we go down the path of the Canadian model is one of the options that has been discussed in the green paper. My principal reason for opposing this is that I believe that the bill is confined to the issue of tax deductibility of political donations and the sentiments of this amendment ought to be dealt with in a bill that covers the substantive issue of levels of campaign funding in terms of public funding and overall expenditure. That bill will hopefully be before this place in the not too distant future.