Democracy & Integrity

The revolving door between politics and vested interests erodes public trust and gives corporations undue influence over government decisions. 

Since 2001, every resources minister in both Coalition and Labor governments has transitioned to roles in the fossil fuel industry.

Stronger lobbying regulations will ensure transparency and stop politicians from prioritising industry mates over the public good.

The Greens' plan:

• Enhance accountability by including in-house lobbyists in the Lobbying Code of Conduct and enforcing more substantial breach penalties.
• Increase transparency in lobbying by requiring Ministers to publish meeting diaries.
• Strengthen lobbying oversight by extending the ban on former ministers' lobbying from 18 months to five years and applying it to senior staff.

Parliament should reflect Australia’s diversity, yet Section 44 of the Constitution creates barriers for over half the population. 

ABS data shows 51.5% of Australians were born overseas or have a parent who was, and many face disqualification from an election due to dual citizenship.  Section 44 also excludes public servants, including teachers, nurses, and firefighters, unless they quit their jobs to run. 

These outdated rules hinder Australians from participating fully in the political process. Reforming Section 44 is long overdue to ensure Parliament truly represents our community.

The Greens' plan: 

• Hold a referendum to amend Section 44, allowing dual citizens and other disqualified groups to run for office. The referendum would be held at the same time as a general election, minimising costs to the taxpayer.

Corporate donations, from fossil fuel companies to Big 4 consultancies, distort decision-making, funnelling billions in public money to harmful industries. 

Fossil fuel companies continue to donate to both major parties. The Labor government is following a bipartisan tradition of handing out $10 billion annually in fossil fuel subsidies, accelerating climate destruction.

The Big 4 consulting firms have donated over $4.3 million to both sides of politics in the past decade and secured $8 billion in government contracts in the same period. 

It’s time to stop corporations from buying influence and ensure governments work for people, not the highest bidder.

The Greens' plan: 

• Stop harmful industries from influencing politics by banning donations from industries such as banking, mining, defence, pharmaceuticals, liquor, tobacco, gambling, and racing.
• Ensure fairness in public funding decisions by prohibiting corporations and their close associates from accessing government contracts or grants within 12 months of making political donations to the governing party.

Political advertising is rife with misrepresentation and false claims, with no penalties for spreading misinformation.

During the 2022 election, misleading ads claimed, "The only way to get rid of Morrison is to Vote 1 Labor." Despite multiple complaints, the AEC ruled these ads didn’t breach the rules, undermining trust in our electoral system.

It’s time to restore integrity to political advertising.

The Greens' plan: 

• Improve public trust in elections by introducing truth in political advertising laws. This will include enforceable penalties for misleading or false political ads.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) is vital in providing independent oversight of government spending. However, it is underfunded, limiting its ability to uncover waste and pork-barrelling.

Pork barrelling erodes public trust in politicians, in government and wastes taxpayer money.

The Greens' plan: 

• Allow the ANAO to conduct more government audits each year by increasing funding by 5%.

Trust in our political leaders and institutions is incredibly low after years of blatant misuse of public funds.

Democracy should go beyond casting a vote; it should include genuine public participation in decisions that shape our lives and future, delivering better policy and outcomes and stronger, more cohesive communities.

A Public Interest Democracy Fund, administered by the Department of Parliamentary Services, will support trials of innovative programs and digital platforms to put people back at the heart of parliament.

The Greens' plan:

• Empower communities by establishing a $10 million Public Interest Democracy Fund. This fund will support trials of innovative programs and digital platforms to increase democratic participation.
• Foster better decision-making by funding citizen juries to report back to parliament.
• Enhance public engagement by funding resources and technology upgrades for online petitions and remote voting.
• Encourage community-driven debate by enabling petitions with over 5,000 signatures to trigger parliamentary discussion.

Public trust in our democracy is at an all-time low, with communities losing confidence that their representatives work for them, rather than for corporate donors. 

In the last financial year, over a third of all political donations fell below the $15,200 disclosure threshold. Many 'membership fees' and cash-for-access event fees are not classed as political donations, keeping them hidden from public scrutiny.

By increasing transparency and stopping the influence of big money in politics, we can restore faith in parliament and ensure it serves people and the planet.

The Greens' plan: 

• Increase transparency by requiring all monetary or in-kind contributions over $1,000 to be disclosed. This will ensure all financial influences on parties and candidates are publicly reported.
• Capture all forms of financial and in-kind contributions to parties and candidates. This will be achieved by tightening the definition of "gift."
• Cap political donations and ensure all cumulative donations are disclosed. This will apply to all registered political parties, branches, candidates, and associated entities.