If the laws on political donations were to be reformed, what changes might be made? As recently as December 2011, the federal Joint Standing Committee on Electoral matters considered just that question.
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And in May 2013, the former Labor government put forward a package of reforms designed to increase disclosure obligations and the transparency on political donations. But a deal struck between Labor and the Coalition collapsed, with Tony Abbott citing the "budget emergency" and public concern about the deal.
That package included:
- A reduction in the threshold for reporting donations, from $12,100 to $5000 when donations from organisations or individuals exceed $5000 in a six month period. The committee had recommended a $1000 threshold.
- A donation of $100,000 or more to be reported to the Australian Electoral Commission within 28 days
- An additional $300,000 in public funding for political parties to help manage the new disclosure requirements.
- And to reduce parties' reliance on third-party donors, a payment of $1 per primary vote in the Senate and House of Representatives for parties and individuals who received more than 4 per cent of the vote - at a reported cost to the taxpayer of about $60 million over four years
- A maximum anonymous donation of $1000 before the donation must be reported.
Other measures floated in recent years include:
- A $1000 threshold for reporting;
- A ban on foreign donations
- "Continuous disclosure" that would see parties report donations within a week.
- A ban on donations over $50
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