Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

I don't expect this bill to pass. It's not that I don't think the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Fair and Transparent Elections) Bill 2024 (No. 2) is a great bill and one that every Australian voter deserves, finally. It's because the Labor Party and the Liberal Party will join together to vote it down for their own interests. There's a simple reason for this: they don't want Australians to be able to see into the dark corners of their dirty, filthy political donations. They especially don't want any attention on the entities both parties use to launder their dirty election money.

Australians know about those fundraising dinners where businesses turn up and pay thousands of dollars to sit there, usually for a dinner where you have an alternate drop—you have salmon on one side and chicken on the other, and by the time it gets to the table it's cold. That's right; you'll pay 10 or 20 grand for that. Seriously, what a sucker for punishment you are! The big prize is getting to sit next to a minister or even the Prime Minister. You might pay a bit extra for that but, don't worry, they'll take every cent of it. The money from those fundraisers goes into entities—let's call them shelf companies, because that's what they are. Then the cash is funnelled wherever they like, to whomever they like, and, Australian voters, you are none the wiser, although I suspect you are waking up to this.

The bill broadens the definition of 'gift' to cover all monetary and in-kind payments, including the fundraising dinners and the so-called business forums. That's right; you pay for them too. Don't worry; you'll get a cheese board at them. It'll cost you 10 grand as well. Good on you! You're really getting your money's worth. Membership fees also funnel into these parties.

No doubt someone from the red team is about to jump to their feet and start bleating on about the electoral reforms that Peter Malinauskas, the Premier of South Australia, has just brought in. Seriously, wake up, South Australians; here's one for you. You have been absolutely blindsided. The wool has been pulled over your eyes, South Australians. I know you're smarter than this. The South Australian Premier says he wants money out of politics. That would be great if it was true—if you actually made them go and earn their seats instead of buying them. Wouldn't that be fabulous? Imagine the democracy we'd have in this country. But these so-called world-beating laws lock in more money for the major parties and lots of perks for the sitting MPs. Australians, while you're all out there doing it tough, they want more perks—yay! According to Anne Twomey, the highly respected constitutional lawyer:

The funding … not only favours incumbents, but also has the effect of favouring the government …

What's new? You're looking after yourselves.

These reforms give sitting MPs—that the Premier of South Australia—80 per cent of their per vote public funding in advance, amounting to $4.6 million for major parties even before the elections. They haven't even won their seats, they haven't even done that and they're already paying themselves. How about that?

Ask Tasmanians what they think about that. Ask what happens in a state election when you run. You don't get any money back. My God, if you mention that in Tasmania there would be an absolute uproar. It's like mentioning toll fees on our roads. Your government's finished. They didn't have the guts to do that because they know very well they're finished. But to make them pay upfront—Jesus, what's the South Australian Premier on? What are you on, mate?

His proposed reforms also change the definition of 'gifts' so that professional services are not counted as 'gifts'. It keeps getting better, doesn't it? In other words, big accounting or legal firms are allowed to contribute to a sitting MP or major party and it wouldn't be counted as a donation. How about that? Like we don't already have enough problems with outsourcing—and the filth that's going on there.

Guess what? This doesn't apply to Independents or teals, and I assume it doesn't apply to the Greens. There are funding caps in these laws, but they don't apply to third parties who give to the majors. That's right. They forgot about the third parties. There are layers and layers of them, Australians. These are the entities that can funnel dark money back into the coffers of major political parties. All up, the Premier's reforms would get South Australia's major parties over 15 million bucks of your taxpayer cash each election, before they've even won their seats. If you think this is a great idea and that the Premier of South Australia is doing you a favour, open your eyes, South Australians, because he's not. He's setting power up for himself and the Labor Party and the other one there, the Liberals. That's what he is doing to you, South Australians—taking your money because he doesn't care. Even when things are really economically tough, he's over there trying to sell this rubbish. The states' major parties have a nasty habit of designing electoral laws to feather their own nests—what's new?—while, once again, locking out Independents and microparties. Apparently we shouldn't be in parliament with the swill that lives up here in the background. They're the ones.

In the last election, the primary vote for both major parties fell. At least one-third of Australians didn't vote for you. That's what the South Australian laws are all about. They are designed to favour the major parties, making it harder for people like me to be elected. According to wide reporting, that's exactly what the federal Labor Party's electoral reforms will also do. Minister Don Farrell has been out there spruiking the Labor government's intention to bring electoral reforms to the federal parliament. All he is doing is selling a dud to Australian voters. It's beyond feral what he's trying to do to you voters out there; I'll be honest with you. Guess who the South Australian Premier's mentor is? Have a guess! It's Minister Farrell. That's right: Minister Farrell and Peter Malinauskas are from the same faction of the South Australian Labor Right. Peter Malinauskas, when it comes to voting reform, is nothing but the muse of Minister Farrell. That's what you South Australians are getting: an absolute dud.

If Minister Farrell takes the same approach to public funding as his protege, Peter Malinauskas, this would mean $254 million of Australian taxpayers' money, while you're out there doing it tough. And these guys over here reckon they know how to win an election. The majority of that money would flow only to the major parties, Australians. If this government is really serious about levelling the playing field, they would jump on board this crossbench bill today because it is fair for all. It's getting to a point where the only way you're going to make it in politics is if you go with one of the major parties or you've got 10 million bucks in your bank account. That's the only way you're going to win a seat unless you're already established as an independent or a microparty. Nobody else is getting in here; you're not even getting a look in. There'll be no more of those preference deals where you can pick up 0.5 per cent and make your way up over the other little microparties. Malcolm Turnbull took that away from you. They took that opportunity away from you as well. There's no way for you to make your way up here.

This bill also tackles truth in political advertising. But, of course, the red team won't see this—absolutely not—and neither will the blue team, because they don't really want more transparency. Transparency's not in their veins; it's just not there. They don't want to make things any fairer for normal Australians to have a shot at getting up here, and making a difference—those with real life experience who haven't come through prestige education making their way up here without earning it. They want to lock down their power with your taxpayer dollars; that's what they want to do with your dollars, Australians, at an economic time like this. What a disgrace!

The majors tried this before in 2013. But, backbenchers, I remind you once again—and it's a worse economic situation now—the backlash from the public was absolutely outrageous. They were absolutely outraged, and you dropped it. If you think it was bad back then, try your luck today. Imagine all of us—the teals, the Independents and the Greens—putting in $10,000 or $20,000 each and running ad after ad in newspapers for weeks. Imagine how much damage that would do to you. I'll tell you what, there's talk of it; we'll do it. I'll chuck my 20 grand in; I'm happy to. I'll tell Australians the truth. I'll be open and honest with them, because that is what they expect. That's what I'll do. As Laura Tingle and Phil Coorey wrote back in 2013:

Both major parties have suffered a fierce public backlash after it was revealed on Monday night they had been secretly negotiating for more than a year a package of donation reforms which also included the generous extra public funding.

A few months ago I asked Minister Farrell if he had done a deal with the coalition to pass legislation that would effectively lock in electoral laws that would financially benefit majors. He said no. If Minister Farrell was telling the truth then he should show the Australian public he's fair dinkum and back in this bill. If he doesn't, the small amount of faith Australians still have in the major parties will keep falling and voters will turn in ever greater numbers to Independents and micros. Be my guest; try your luck. I'm keen. Bring on your bill; let's see what you've got. Let's see how the public feels about that. We will fight you out there and press at every turn. And, if you think that's going to win you more seats in the next election, once again, be my guest.

I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.