Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Special Minister of State. Minister, does the government support the fundamental principle of Australian electoral funding law that the Australian Electoral Commission must be able to verify the nature and source of significant political donations? Does the government realise that offshore based foundations, trusts or clubs, or individuals funded from tax havens, making political donations to Australian political parties are a real danger, because those who are behind those entities are often hidden and beyond the reach of Australian law? Is the government aware that a number of democracies, including New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom, ban foreign donations to domestic political parties, to stop foreign influence in domestic political affairs? When will Australia follow their lead by similarly banning foreign donations to the political parties of Australia?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I know what motivates this question from Senator Murray; I am sure it is the $18,000 international donation that the Australian Greens received from the Greens in Sweden, a country that I note does not have any disclosure laws. I am sure that is the motivation behind Senator Murray’s question. In relation to international donations, the government’s view is that in Australia there has to be disclosure of the source of those funds—at the moment, if they are above $1,500. We believe a more sensible threshold would be $10,000. So any source of funding that is above that threshold that comes to a political party from overseas would need to be disclosed. If there is a suggestion that all international donations should be stopped, that might be something that the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, or other people, might want to look at. As far as I am aware, it is not on the government’s agenda to do that, because we in general terms believe that that sort of funding flow is appropriate, and it seems that the parties have received benefits from all sources. But, having said that, I will pass that on to the Special Minister of State to see if he has anything further to add.

Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his answer. Just to assist the minister, in the last seven years there has been nearly $2 million worth of foreign political donations to Australia, according to the AEC records. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the government aware that in the last seven years foreign donations have come in from the Channel Islands, New Zealand, Sweden, the Philippines, Great Britain, Liechtenstein, Germany, China, Hong Kong, the United States, Japan, India, Fiji and Taiwan, amongst others? Is the government aware of public concern that our democracy is for sale?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not believe that the Australian public are of the view that our democracy is for sale, in the terms so exaggeratedly put by the honourable senator. I believe that most people in Australia say that we have, in general terms, a fair system, one that can of course be improved—and I look forward to the electoral reforms that were previously announced by a former Special Minister of State which I believe will enhance the electoral system. Once those reforms are implemented, I think we will have a very robust electoral system which the Australian people will have even greater confidence in.