Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I was quite happy to provide good-faith, genuine, direct answers to the questions but I object to the imputation just now. People do not have to pay to get access to me. People who want to get access to me, can get access to me subject to time limitations. People don't have pay to get access to me, but people who want to support, including with financial donations, the campaign effort of one or another side of politics are entitled to do so, as long as everyone concerned complies with all of the relevant laws of the land, and nothing in this bill has any bearing on that, incidentally. The part of the bill where there seems to be a level of discussion is about strictly separating the federal laws, which should govern federal elections, from state laws, which should govern state elections. It should not be that state laws can interfere with the conduct of federal elections. We believe we must have nationally consistent federal electoral arrangements.