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| CPI, Briefing Paper, 2 February 2020 |
The Centre for Public Integrity, media release, 3 February 2020:
A
new briefing paper released
by The Centre for Public Integrity today shows that vast amounts of
money potentially influencing last year’s federal election will not
be disclosed to the public.
Annual
returns released on Monday by the Australian Electoral Commission
will only cover some donations to political parties and other
participants.
The
paper shows that
over $1 billion, or 36% of party income, has not been disclosed since
1999.
“Donations
under $14,000 will not be disclosed, much income from associated
entities, party fundraising events, membership fees is likely to be
hidden,” said political finance expert and director of The Centre
for Public Integrity Professor Joo Cheong Tham.
“Campaign
spending will not be made public. Voters will not know who spent what
in key states or marginal electorates.”
“Any
breaches of disclosure regulations are unlikely to be investigated,
as the AEC lacks the resources and there is no National Integrity
Commission.’
“We
need urgent reform of our disclosure system so that donations over
$1000 are disclosed in real time, spending is made public, and any
breaches are properly investigated by a National Integrity
Commission,” concluded Professor Tham.
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