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Thread: there has been lots of recent discussion over the lack of transparency of political donations & #darkmoney in the Tasmanian election – Tasmania has no political donations law so the only disclosure is as a result of the weak national legislation #tasvotes #politas #auspol
2) Under federal electoral law in 2017/18 only donations to political parties over $13,500 have to be disclosed – but they won’t be made public by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) until Feb 2019, well after the current state election #tasvotes #politas #darkmoney
3) Enforcement of political donations is the responsibility of the AEC. If you if don’t vote at a federal or state election, you are fined … but failure to disclose political donations goes unpunished #tasvotes #politas #darkmoney tasmaniantimes.com/index.php/arti…
4) How big is #Tasmania’s #darkmoney problem? Will Hodgman was elected leader of the Tas Liberals in March 2006. AEC returns from 1 July 2006 to June 30 2017 reveal Tas Liberals had income of $20.7 million but disclosed the origins of just $2.87m #tasvotes #politas #darkmoney
5) So over the 11 financial years Will Hodgman has been leader of the Tas Liberals just 13% of the source of the party’s income has been disclosed to the public – potentially hundreds of donors who would have once been disclosed remain secret #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas
6) Why? The Liberal Party has resisted political donations disclosure ever since it was proposed in the early 1980’s. In Dec 2005 the Howard Government lifted the disclosure threshold from $1500 to $10,000 (indexed to CPI). The amount of #darkmoney skyrocketed #tasvotes #politas
7) In 2004/5, the last full financial year with the $1500 disclosure threshold, the Tas Liberal Party had income of $808,000. They disclosed 82 donations over the threshold which amounted to $609,000. That was 75% of total income disclosed #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas
8) In 2016/17 AEC data reveals the Tas Libs had income of just under $2.4 million and disclosed just 7 sources of $498,241 (including $55,280 from the ATO and AEC). With just 21% disclosed that leaves a lot of #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas
9) When the Howard Govt moved to lift the political donations threshold, Sen Eric Abetz told the Senate that donors “need protection from those people who would seek to intimidate them because of their donations.” #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/searc…
10) As 88% of donations to the ALP and Liberals in 03/04 were over the $10,000 lifting the threshold would have little impact on transparency, Abetz claimed. The remaining 12% of undisclosed income he said were “the rats and mice of the donations” #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas
11) The “rats and mice of the donations” have now grown far fatter Here’s what the Fitzgerald Royal Commission in Queensland had to say about the need for political donations reform after the Bjelke Petersen era #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas 
12) Disclosure enables public scrutiny and basic accountability journalism. For example, why has a pathology industry lobby group has emerged as one of the Tasmanian Liberals largest donors in recent years? #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas tasmaniantimes.com/index.php/arti…
13) Without disclosure we wouldn’t have known the Financial Services Council (FSC), a lobby group the Tas Govt’s Public Trustee belongs to, gave $34,950 to the Tas Libs. The FSC has no longer donates to the Tas Libs #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas tasmaniantimes.com/index.php/arti…
14) But there is much that Will Hodgman and the Tas Libs are reluctant to discuss about the relationship between donors & party leaders. #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas
15) One donor – the financial services company AMP – let slip that they gave the Tas Libs $9900 in December 2014 to attend “a public policy forum” organised by the party #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas tasmaniantimes.com/index.php/arti…
16) An AMP rep said the donation for the “forum” was “in order to meet key political figures, build relationships and participate in the conversations to ensure the views of our customers and shareholders are represented.” #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas
17) There is much we don’t know about the Tas Libs “public policy forum”. How often are they held? Do Govt Ministers attend? Tas Libs refuse to comment #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas
18) There is strong public support for better public disclosure – even in Braddon – arguably the state’s most conservative electorate. And support among a majority of political parties – Labor, Greens & Jacqui Lambie #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas tasmaniantimes.com/index.php/arti…
19) But there’s no incentive for the Tas Libs to back greater donations disclosure: they have huge $ advantage over rival political parties. In 2016/17 Tas Libs income was $2.38m vs Labor’s $751k, Tas Greens $235k & Jacqui Lambie Network $2750 #darkmoney #tasvotes #polit #auspol
20) Disclosure above a low threshold - $500 as done by the Jacqui Lambie Networ), $1000 as proposed by Greens or $1-2k by Labor is one thing, but real-time web-based disclosure enables voters & journalists to scrutinise parties ahead of election day #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas
21) It’s not that hard. The Liberal National Party in Queensland managed to comply with real-time disclosure of donations over $1000 within 7 days of receipt in the recent Queensland election campaign disclosures.ecq.qld.gov.au/Map
22) If Tas Libs win a majority at March 3 election, donations reform may remain stalled for another 4 years. If Victoria proceeds with proposed donations law, Tasmania will be the only state in Aust without state-based donations disclosure #darkmoney #tasvotes #politas
23) Without basic good governance standards in place, Tasmania is at increased risk of a major and potentially very damaging scandal over political donations. The case for #darkmoney is weak, the case for disclosure is strong #tasvotes #politas END
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