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| Coalition plays down chances of reforming political donations and disclosure regime | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The special minister of state, Scott Ryan, has played down the prospect of achieving major reform of the political donations regime and says the government has no interest in “stacking” the system to advantage one political party at the expense of another. | The special minister of state, Scott Ryan, has played down the prospect of achieving major reform of the political donations regime and says the government has no interest in “stacking” the system to advantage one political party at the expense of another. |
| In his first comments on the subject, the government minister responsible for the electoral system told Senate question time on Monday he was considering specific issues to be put to the joint standing committee on electoral matters after the prime minister last week expressed interest in reforming the donations system. | In his first comments on the subject, the government minister responsible for the electoral system told Senate question time on Monday he was considering specific issues to be put to the joint standing committee on electoral matters after the prime minister last week expressed interest in reforming the donations system. |
| Ryan suggested the first test of any reform would be ensuring a level playing field between Australia’s political combatants. | Ryan suggested the first test of any reform would be ensuring a level playing field between Australia’s political combatants. |
| Answering a question from the Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, Ryan said: “If there is to be any movement on the issue of donations and disclosure, it can’t be to try and stack the electoral field one way, like when you [the Greens] come out and say corporations can’t make donations but unions and non-profits can.” | Answering a question from the Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, Ryan said: “If there is to be any movement on the issue of donations and disclosure, it can’t be to try and stack the electoral field one way, like when you [the Greens] come out and say corporations can’t make donations but unions and non-profits can.” |
| He also pointed to the constitutional difficulty associated with trying to limit participation in the political process. “You correctly point to comments from the prime minister [last week] who also correctly outlined the recent high court decisions that do impact on the ability of this parliament to limit political contributions and donations,” Ryan said. | He also pointed to the constitutional difficulty associated with trying to limit participation in the political process. “You correctly point to comments from the prime minister [last week] who also correctly outlined the recent high court decisions that do impact on the ability of this parliament to limit political contributions and donations,” Ryan said. |
| “It is only appropriate that if [reform of the system] is to be considered then those judgments be considered and the first test has to be creating a playing field that doesn’t stack [the system] for one side of politics or the other.” | “It is only appropriate that if [reform of the system] is to be considered then those judgments be considered and the first test has to be creating a playing field that doesn’t stack [the system] for one side of politics or the other.” |
| Ryan was on parental leave last week when political controversy erupted over the Labor senator Sam Dastyari’s decision to ask a Chinese businessman to settle an overspent travel claim – a controversy that culminated in Dastyari quitting the Labor front bench. | Ryan was on parental leave last week when political controversy erupted over the Labor senator Sam Dastyari’s decision to ask a Chinese businessman to settle an overspent travel claim – a controversy that culminated in Dastyari quitting the Labor front bench. |
| The government used question time in the House of Representatives to resume its political attacks against Dastyari’s conduct and various ministers criticised the Labor leader, Bill Shorten, for failing to remove him from the frontbench. | The government used question time in the House of Representatives to resume its political attacks against Dastyari’s conduct and various ministers criticised the Labor leader, Bill Shorten, for failing to remove him from the frontbench. |
| Labor then attempted to return fire on the Coalition by asking the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, questions about $500,000 worth of donations made to the West Australian branch of the Liberal party from companies with links to the Chinese government. | Labor then attempted to return fire on the Coalition by asking the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, questions about $500,000 worth of donations made to the West Australian branch of the Liberal party from companies with links to the Chinese government. |
| Bishop said all donations made to the party in WA were subject to Australian Electoral Commission rules and requirements, and were subject to audit. She was then asked about sponsored travel from the Chinese firm Huawei and the gift of a tablet. Bishop said she donated the tablet to a school. | Bishop said all donations made to the party in WA were subject to Australian Electoral Commission rules and requirements, and were subject to audit. She was then asked about sponsored travel from the Chinese firm Huawei and the gift of a tablet. Bishop said she donated the tablet to a school. |
| “Mr Speaker, if you want to see an example of money buying influence, look no further than Senator Sam Dastyari. That’s where we have an example of money buying influence,” Bishop said. | “Mr Speaker, if you want to see an example of money buying influence, look no further than Senator Sam Dastyari. That’s where we have an example of money buying influence,” Bishop said. |
| Over in the Senate, both Ryan and the attorney general, George Brandis, taunted the Greens about their disclosure policy after different accounts of it were provided in public statements last week from the Greens’ democracy spokeswoman, Lee Rhiannon, and Di Natale. | Over in the Senate, both Ryan and the attorney general, George Brandis, taunted the Greens about their disclosure policy after different accounts of it were provided in public statements last week from the Greens’ democracy spokeswoman, Lee Rhiannon, and Di Natale. |
| Last Tuesday Di Natale told Radio National that all donations from foreign, corporate and third-party entities should be banned. | Last Tuesday Di Natale told Radio National that all donations from foreign, corporate and third-party entities should be banned. |
| The statement, which was also tweeted from an official Greens account, contradicted Greens policy and a letter Di Natale had sent to the government and opposition that not-for-profit organisations should still be allowed to donate, subject to caps. | The statement, which was also tweeted from an official Greens account, contradicted Greens policy and a letter Di Natale had sent to the government and opposition that not-for-profit organisations should still be allowed to donate, subject to caps. |
| The Di Natale statement sparked consternation from unionists, who pointed out that limiting donations to individuals on the roll would effectively ban union donations, and it was later corrected by Rhiannon, who said: “The Greens are long-term advocates for a ban on overseas donations and donations from for-profit corporations, and strict caps on donations from individuals and from not-for-profit organisations.” | The Di Natale statement sparked consternation from unionists, who pointed out that limiting donations to individuals on the roll would effectively ban union donations, and it was later corrected by Rhiannon, who said: “The Greens are long-term advocates for a ban on overseas donations and donations from for-profit corporations, and strict caps on donations from individuals and from not-for-profit organisations.” |
| Brandis also declared in the chamber the Greens were the recipients of the “largest single corporate donation in political history”. | Brandis also declared in the chamber the Greens were the recipients of the “largest single corporate donation in political history”. |
| The jibe prompted a retaliation from the Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson, who said the donation from the web entrepreneur Graeme Wood was a personal donation, not a corporate one. “You are full of shit,” the Greens senator shouted at Brandis across the chamber. | The jibe prompted a retaliation from the Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson, who said the donation from the web entrepreneur Graeme Wood was a personal donation, not a corporate one. “You are full of shit,” the Greens senator shouted at Brandis across the chamber. |
| The Nick Xenophon Team is meanwhile trying to build cross-chamber support for a motion in the Senate on Tuesday calling for a wide-ranging parliamentary inquiry into the donations and disclosure regime, reporting by March. | The Nick Xenophon Team is meanwhile trying to build cross-chamber support for a motion in the Senate on Tuesday calling for a wide-ranging parliamentary inquiry into the donations and disclosure regime, reporting by March. |
| The NXT motion, to be moved by senator Stirling Griff, already has the support of Pauline Hanson and the One Nation Senate bloc. | The NXT motion, to be moved by senator Stirling Griff, already has the support of Pauline Hanson and the One Nation Senate bloc. |