2020-02-24
The Greens will move to get big money out of politics this week by introducing a bill to cap donations to political parties at $1000 per year and to ban all party political donations from dirty industries buying influence: the mining, banking, gambling, alcohol and property industries.
Greens Senate Leader and spokesperson on democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said the Greens bill could once and for all remove the influence of big money and start restoring integrity into our parliament.
“The community wants its democracy back. They’re sick of their interests being sold out to the highest bidder,” she said.
“Opposition leader Anthony Albanese yesterday for the first time showed support for the long-held Greens policy of capping political donations.
“Perhaps Albo realised the corrosive impact of big money on politics now Clive Palmer lost the election for Labor.
“Nonetheless, we welcome his support but donations caps must be meaningful and low.
“Democracy needs a meaningful donations cap of $1000 a year for all donors - individuals, unions and corporates - and a complete ban on donations from industries with a history of buying policy outcomes, like the mining, banking, gambling, alcohol and property industries.
“Massive donations to the old political parties have sold out community interests.
“The major parties have taken at least $1 million from the fossil fuel industry in the past year alone, making a total of $9.3 million that the fossil fuel giants have donated to the Labor and Liberal/National parties since 2012.
"Trust in politics is at an all time low and the best way to fix this is to stop selling our democracy to the highest bidder.
"With support from Labor and the crossbench, this bill could pass the Senate and pressure the Government to finally act," she said.