This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
Greens vote with government against lowering threshold for donations – politics live
Greens vote with government against lowering threshold for donations – politics live
(35 minutes later)
1.59am GMT
2.33am GMT
01:59
02:33
The question now is that the bill, as amended, be agreed to. Government senate leader George Brandis has been holding his head with the faintest of victory smiles.
That’s it. It’s done. The Greens are ebullient. Hugs all round. The biggest change to Australian voting procedures in three decades. Done.
1.54am GMT
2.32am GMT
01:54
02:32
Here we go people. Here come the big votes. Stay tuned. This filibuster is about to come to a screaming halt.
Labor’s Doug Cameron has just pointed to a line of empty seats between the government and the Greens.
Updated
Is that the DMZ?
at 1.54am GMT
2.31am GMT
1.42am GMT
02:31
01:42
A man and his pillow.
Greens vote with the government against lowering the threshold for political donations
2.29am GMT
The senate is dividing on the Labor disclosure amendments now. The Greens are voting with the government. Love to show you that division because I know a lot of readers would find that one interesting. But the rules prohibit us photographing senate divisions.
02:29
The cross benchers are voting with Labor. Nick Xenophon is voting with the government and the Greens.
In the final count, the lights have just dramatically dimmed in the chamber. Silly erupts. Labor starts yelling about doom and the end of democracy. Everyone is laughing just a little bit loudly. The morning after the sleepover.
Bye bye opportunity for more transparency. There goes the amendments.
2.27am GMT
Updated
02:27
at 1.46am GMT
Holding on for that final vote.
1.26am GMT
2.22am GMT
01:26
02:22
The intent here is not about political donations.
LDP senator David Leyonhjelm.
This is the Green senator Lee Rhiannon.
This dirty little deal between the Greens and the Liberals could easily be called the Rhiannon re-election bill, or the wipe out the minor parties bill.
(I think the amendment makes it quite clear this is about donations, and making them more transparent. This is an opportunity to change a system which absolutely needs to change. I get Di Natale’s rationale from before, but this is a bird in the hand. I don’t understand at all why the Greens wouldn’t grab this. You can always revisit down the track. This is a lost opportunity. Pure and simple.)
Leyonhjelm says he doesn’t understand why the government has pursued this. He says it will make the management of the senate more difficult.
Right now the job before us is senate voting reform.
It is a no win for everyone.
1.20am GMT
2.19am GMT
01:20
02:19
Doug Cameron says if you want to know how the Liberals operate, follow the money. Banks, property developers. The associated entities. They take money and do favours. Who gets priority access? The people making the donations. And associated entities hide the identities of the donors.
Nick Xenophon is sitting down the back with his pillow. Just saying.
I can go on, and on, and on. It is an absolute rort. If there was ever a need for a royal commission, it’s into the associated entities of the Liberal party.
2.18am GMT
1.14am GMT
02:18
01:14
Rhiannon can hardly be heard in the chamber over Labor’s mutterings.
He was up, like a jack in the box!
Labor’s Sam Dastyari.
This is Labor’s Doug Cameron, pointing out how quickly the finance minister leapt to his feet to defend corporate political donations.
Can someone start playing the music. The wind up music. The Oscars wind up music.
He says the Greens as recently as February 24 were demanding immediate action on disclosure and donations.
Rhiannon says the chamber should pause to remember the contribution of Labor’s John Faulkner to electoral reform.
They are an absolutely pathetic mob. You can’t trust a word that comes out of Senator Di Natale’s mouth. They really are a do nothing mob.
Sam Dastyari.
1.10am GMT
He hates you!
01:10
2.13am GMT
Greens leader Richard Di Natale says the Greens support the amendments in principle but the donations issue is currently before a parliamentary inquiry. He says he looks forward to Labor’s support when the issue emerges out of committee.
02:13
He says the public will look on at events in the Senate this week with disgust and contempt. Di Natale says the public will view the discussion in the senate as little more than a stunt. He says we need an improvement to the disclosure regime.
Green senator Lee Rhiannon says the 17th of March is an historic day in Australian politics.
Richard Di Natale.
It’s the 18th, half the senate screams out. It is, indeed, the 18th.
I hope this isn’t just another tactic.
2.12am GMT
Updated
02:12
at 1.38am GMT
Wong says this is about the Coalition entrenching its dominance of the senate and we all know what that means for working people.
1.05am GMT
01:05
Mathias Cormann.
This is a transparent stunt and the government won’t be supporting these amendments.
1.03am GMT
01:03
Labor is moving amendments now to lower the disclosure threshold on political donations. Labor senator Jacinta Collins says the Greens have played lame on this issue. Finance minister Mathias Cormann says the government opposes lowering the disclosure threshold to $1,000 because the system is fine.
Cormann says Labor had a chance to pursue this when in government, supported by the Greens, and failed to do so. He notes Labor had six years in government. In 2010, you had the numbers in parliament to do something about it, Cormann says. You left it stranded. Ha, ha, ha. (That’s how Cormann laughs. Ha, ha, ha.)
Updated
at 1.37am GMT
12.53am GMT
00:53
Labor’s Jacinta Collins.
Can I make the point about JSCEM [the joint committee on electoral matters]?
Green senator Robert Simms.
Oh, not again.
Please.
12.44am GMT
00:44
In this division, Leyonhjelm has been appointed teller for the ayes. It’s a short count. Bob Day, Ricky Muir, Dio Wang, John Madigan. No sign of Glenn Lazarus and Jacqui Lambie, as we’ve reported, has pulled up stumps.
Nick Xenophon is voting with the Greens, government and Labor. I believe this amendment was about optional preferential voting in the House of Representatives.
12.38am GMT
00:38
While I’m looking back, if you’d like to hear about the Labor senator Glenn Sterle’s diagnostic procedures, it’s your lucky day.
12.35am GMT
00:35
A couple of chamber shots from last night.
12.30am GMT
00:30
Straight out of the authoritarian handbook.
The LDP’s David Leyonhjelm isn’t taking a backward step. He’s speaking to an amendment that would introduce voluntary voting.
