Major Parties Should Disclose June Election Donations

While this important reform means donations over $1000 will be made public for the remainder of this campaign, we are calling on both major parties to follow the Greens’ lead by voluntarily disclosing donations made prior to 1 July. It’s the right thing to do by Tasmanians.

The major parties have been able to keep political donations secret from the public for too long. It’s meant big corporates like salmon farming companies, the pokies lobby and developers have been able to influence government policy behind closed doors. These large donations from corrupting corporations have resulted in worse outcomes for Tasmanian people and our environment.

The source of $18 million has been kept secret by the major parties over the past five years, which is why the Greens are proud to have passed the new laws to make donations transparent to Tasmanians. It’s a testament to the change the Greens can make for our state in a balance of power Parliament.

Our reform of donations laws will make a big difference into the future, but as we are in the middle of an election campaign Tasmanians also have a right to know who has been giving money to the Liberal and Labor parties during the June period of the campaign.

We know the Liberal and Labor parties have spent the first weeks of the election raking in big sums ahead of 1 July.  We hear Labor in particular has tried to beat the 1 July start time, by hosting an expensive fundraising dinner last week.

With a major party reportedly filling a room with vested interests paying a price of thousands of dollars a head, and who knows how much more flowing in from other sources, there is a serious problem. What does Labor have to hide from Tasmanian voters?

Tasmanians deserve to know who is donating to political parties and candidates, and who is trying to buy outcomes on this election campaign. The Greens have already voluntarily disclosed all our donations above $1,000. We call on the Liberals and Labor to do the same.