Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank all those in this chamber who have contributed to this debate. The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Annual Disclosure Equality) Bill 2021 builds upon reforms to the funding and disclosure regime that have been applied over recent years to improve the consistency of the treatment of all political actors. It will extend the application of the existing foreign donations framework to current sitting members of the House of Representatives and senators, from the period at which they formally announce their intention to seek re-election through the full length of their parliamentary term. It will require parliamentarians who receive gifts for a federal purpose directly—that is, for the purpose of incurring electoral expenditure or creating or communicating electoral matter—to lodge an annual return to the AEC relating to gifts received during the financial year, and it will extend the period for which a person is taken to be a candidate by an additional six months for the purpose of the disclosure period for candidate and Senate group returns and for restrictions on receiving foreign donations.

This is to support the continued integrity of Australia's electoral system by ensuring that Australia's world-class electoral funding disclosure regime is consistent and continues to provide an appropriate balance of transparency for Australian voters. Once again, I thank those in this chamber for their contributions and commend the bill to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.