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| Labor veteran 'ashamed' of party funding deal | Labor veteran 'ashamed' of party funding deal |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Labor elder statesman Senator John Faulkner told his colleagues he was “ashamed” and the ALP was “diminished and tarnished” by the deal it had done with the Liberals in order to secure agreement on a package that would give political parties more than $50m in extra taxpayer funding. | Labor elder statesman Senator John Faulkner told his colleagues he was “ashamed” and the ALP was “diminished and tarnished” by the deal it had done with the Liberals in order to secure agreement on a package that would give political parties more than $50m in extra taxpayer funding. |
| Despite strong opposition from Faulkner and backbencher Daryl Melham, Labor’s caucus passed new donation laws that water down proposed new donation thresholds to achieve long-term bipartisan support for the additional public funding. | Despite strong opposition from Faulkner and backbencher Daryl Melham, Labor’s caucus passed new donation laws that water down proposed new donation thresholds to achieve long-term bipartisan support for the additional public funding. |
| In a debate that lasted over half an hour Faulkner, a long-time advocate of political donation reform, argued against the changes. The package would award $1 per vote in each house and cost taxpayers more than $50m over the next four years. | In a debate that lasted over half an hour Faulkner, a long-time advocate of political donation reform, argued against the changes. The package would award $1 per vote in each house and cost taxpayers more than $50m over the next four years. |
| Labor’s original electoral reform bill, now before the Senate, would reduce the threshold at which political donations must be disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commission from $12,000 to $1,000 – a move the ALP has long championed. | Labor’s original electoral reform bill, now before the Senate, would reduce the threshold at which political donations must be disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commission from $12,000 to $1,000 – a move the ALP has long championed. |
| Under the new deal, the threshold would be $5,000. It also increases the value beyond which anonymous gifts to political parties are banned, from $50 to $1,000. | Under the new deal, the threshold would be $5,000. It also increases the value beyond which anonymous gifts to political parties are banned, from $50 to $1,000. |
| But, critically for political parties struggling as the overall level of private donations decline, it would also allow them to claim $1 per vote in each house for “party administration” expenses on top of the $2.47 per vote they already get after elections to help pay for their campaigns. | But, critically for political parties struggling as the overall level of private donations decline, it would also allow them to claim $1 per vote in each house for “party administration” expenses on top of the $2.47 per vote they already get after elections to help pay for their campaigns. |
| The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, leader of the government in the house of representatives, Anthony Albanese, the former special minister of state who brokered the deal, Gary Gray and the minister for ageing, Mark Butler, all argued in favour of the changes. | The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, leader of the government in the house of representatives, Anthony Albanese, the former special minister of state who brokered the deal, Gary Gray and the minister for ageing, Mark Butler, all argued in favour of the changes. |
| Liberal party sources said they had not seen Labor’s final proposals but had reached an in-principle agreement in talks between party officials and between the minister and shadow ministers. | Liberal party sources said they had not seen Labor’s final proposals but had reached an in-principle agreement in talks between party officials and between the minister and shadow ministers. |
| Gray had revealed he was trying to reach agreement with the Coalition on a bipartisan proposal for public funding of party administration, but had not revealed the amount being discussed. After the March ministerial reshuffle that negotiation fell to Dreyfus. | Gray had revealed he was trying to reach agreement with the Coalition on a bipartisan proposal for public funding of party administration, but had not revealed the amount being discussed. After the March ministerial reshuffle that negotiation fell to Dreyfus. |
| Faulkner said he was not opposed to the idea of a negotiation with the Coalition, but articles of Labor faith needed to be preserved. | Faulkner said he was not opposed to the idea of a negotiation with the Coalition, but articles of Labor faith needed to be preserved. |
| The Liberal party’s federal director, Brian Loughnane, said on Monday the party had “always said it is willing to consider any proposal which is comprehensive and fair to all parties”. | The Liberal party’s federal director, Brian Loughnane, said on Monday the party had “always said it is willing to consider any proposal which is comprehensive and fair to all parties”. |
| But he said Labor had “been talking about changes to funding and disclosure for four years under four different ministers and the government has not yet presented a final bill”. | But he said Labor had “been talking about changes to funding and disclosure for four years under four different ministers and the government has not yet presented a final bill”. |
| The Greens, strong backers of donation reform, had intended to support the existing Labor bill in the Senate. | The Greens, strong backers of donation reform, had intended to support the existing Labor bill in the Senate. |
| The Greens’ leader, Senator Christine Milne, said on Monday night her party would oppose any legislation that didn’t “clamp down on corporate donations and runaway electoral spending to stop what is now an ‘arms race’”. | The Greens’ leader, Senator Christine Milne, said on Monday night her party would oppose any legislation that didn’t “clamp down on corporate donations and runaway electoral spending to stop what is now an ‘arms race’”. |
| She said: “We have long campaigned for donation reform. The whole point of a public funding model is to stamp out the growing influence of corporate donations on public policy. Any increase in public funding without caps or curbs on corporate donations will only accelerate the arms race.” | She said: “We have long campaigned for donation reform. The whole point of a public funding model is to stamp out the growing influence of corporate donations on public policy. Any increase in public funding without caps or curbs on corporate donations will only accelerate the arms race.” |
| In 2011 a joint parliamentary committee recommended public funding for party administration, in part to pay for the costs of complying with the donation disclosure laws themselves. | In 2011 a joint parliamentary committee recommended public funding for party administration, in part to pay for the costs of complying with the donation disclosure laws themselves. |
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