Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, rise to speak on the matter of public importance that's been raised here in the Senate. Before I talk about some of the history of political donations reform, I want to say at the outset that government senators completely reject the assertion that's being made here by Senator Lambie, which is that all political parties have the same history and approach to political donations. Over the many years that we were in opposition we brought a number of reforms to this place to try to make the system of donations a lot more accountable and transparent.

The assertion, too, is that members in this place and the other place engage in some form of corruption. I think Senator McGrath made the point about engagement with the local branches and the members of our respective parties, whether it be through raffles, sausage sizzles or other forms of political donation, and how we raise money in the lead-up to an election campaign—there's no secret about that. I know so many hardworking candidates who unfortunately weren't elected at the last election and who will put their hand up again. They'll put six months of leave on the table to go out and run for the party because they believe in the movement, they believe in the cause and they believe in representing their local community. They'll do so by having raffles. They'll do so by having sausage sizzles. They'll do so by going to local community groups and raising money, and there is nothing wrong with that. But different political parties do have different approaches and histories on this issue of political donation.

I suggest, Senator Lambie, that we should not paint all political parties with the same brush on the issue of political donations.