|
Our
system of political donations is in urgent need of reform - huge
donations from powerful organisations and individuals are undermining
and damaging our democratic process.
ASH supports reform of
Australia's system of political donations and electoral funding -
especially to stop the tobacco industry exerting unhealthy influence
on legislation and policy at the cost of public health. Tobacco giants seek to bend decision-making to their deadly
ends - by their own donations and
using related entities.
While
countries like NZ, Canada and UK have acted to limit election
funding, Australia lags behind - our parties engaged in an
increasingly US-style fund-raising race which puts commercial interests
ahead of evidence-based policies and community support.
Legislative
reform is long overdue.
ASH and other public interest groups
seek more transparency,
an end to organisational donations, caps on individual donations, and
limits on electoral spending.
On this page you'll find:
NEWS RESOURCES
TAKE ACTION:
Send
emails to national leaders calling for reform
NEWS
Coalition parties still taking tobacco
money
January 2013: Latest Australian Electoral Commission disclosures of political
donations show that in 2011-12 British American Tobacco gave
$2500 to the Liberal Party and $2200 to the Nationals; and Philip
Morris gave $2200 to the Liberals and $880 to the Nationals. Tobacco-related
entity the Australian Hotels Association gave $250,000 to the Federal Liberals
and $54,000 to the SA Liberals. AEC
annual disclosures
Tasmanian Libs block move to end
tobacco donations
November 2012: Tasmania's Liberal Party and some
independent Upper House MPs have voted down a bill to end tobacco company
political donations to political parties in the state. The bill, introduced
by an independent MP and supported by the ALP and Greens, would have ended tobacco donations to the Liberal opposition,
which took $38,000 from tobacco giants in 2010-11. Health leaders have
condemned the vote, holding a vigil on the parliament lawns for Tasmania's
high tobacco death rate. ABC
News 16/11/12 The
bill
Candlelight vigil for Tasmania's tobacco deaths (14/11/12) on lawns of
parliament
Photo: Smokefree Tasmania
Coalition criticised for
accepting tobacco company donations
February 2012: Liberal-National
parties criticised for continuing to accept tobacco company
donations. Australian Electoral Commission figures show Coalition
parties accepted over a quarter of a million dollars in 2010-11 from Philip
Morris and British American Tobacco. Tobacco companies and tobacco-funded
organisations also spent over $13m on campaigns against Australian
government's plain pack laws. SMH 1/2/12
AEC
disclosures Attorney-Gen Roxon release 1/2/12 (not online) Tasmanian
Greens release 1/2/12
ASH and other health organisations have
urged ending tobacco company political donations and reforms to
restrict their use of third parties to channel donations.
Earlier ASH-Heart
Foundation-ACOSH-PHAA release 8/8/11
These donations should not be accepted from companies
that have a long history of interfering in health policy.
Tobacco
industry's Plain Pack Attack
Tobacco
donations to continue with no agreement for reform
2011: Disappointing federal
inquiry report into political funding. 30 recommendations of Joint Standing Committee
but no ban on corporate donations or cap on party
financing. Offers minor transparency/accountability reform, lower
disclosure threshold. No plan for next steps. Some states have banned tobacco, alcohol, gambling,
developer donations, but agreement of major federal parties still awaits. JSCEM
report Dec 2011
NSW Premier urged to give back tobacco donations
2011: NSW Premier Barry
O'Farrell urged by the ALP Opposition to hand back almost $60,000 the
Liberal/National parties received in tobacco company donations just before
they were outlawed by new legislation. ALP
media release 8/11/11
Present system
"fails smell test": ex-Liberal Minister, fundraiser
2011: Ex- NSW
Minister and former Liberal Party fundraiser Michael Yabsley says current political donations system
"out of
control" and "fails the smell test"; recommends banning
organisational and capping individual donations. Power
index interview, 17/8/11
What was Bronwyn Bishop smoking?
2011: ASH supports
reform in testimony to a federal parliamentary inquiry into political
donations - and runs up against ferocious opposition from Liberal Party
warhorse Bronwyn Bishop. Croakey
health blog, 15/8/11
transcript
9/8/11
Mrs
Bishop in similarly vitriolic form at August 8 hearings vs the Public Health
Association, reported in
Sydney
Morning Herald 9/8/11
NSW bans tobacco political
donations
2010: NSW makes any "tobacco industry
business entity" a "prohibited donor" to any political party or
candidate. Law takes effect before 2011 election campaign. NSW
Electoral Funding Amendment Act 2010
RESOURCES
ASH
Australia media releases
Ending
tobacco-linked political donations long overdue ASH
and partners, 8/8/11
NSW
inquiry told: time to reform political donations ASH,
3/3/08
ASH Australia
submissions and testimony
ASH
testimony to House of Reps Joint Standing Committee hearing, August 2011
ASH submission to House of Reps Joint Standing Committee inquiry, June 2011
ASH
submission to NSW Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee, NSW 2009
ASH
submission to Federal Green Paper on Political Donations, 2009
ASH
has also made submissions and/or appeared at political
funding/transparency inquiries in Queensland and Victoria.
Australian
Electoral Commission
The AEC administers national
election funding and financial disclosure, returns published online.
States and Territories also have their own electoral
authorities and all provide annual donations returns above certain levels
depending on legal requirements.
Australian
Parliament, Joint Standing Committee On Electoral Matters Inquiry Into
The Funding Of Political Parties And Election Campaigns,
2011
Site
including submissions and hearing transcripts
ASH submission, June 2011
Democracy4sale
Greens NSW website including news, developments and tool for searching
political donations (Federal, NSW and SA) under names, parties and
categories of donor.
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
World Health Organization treaty ratified by Australia and committing us
to taking comprehensive action to prevent tobacco industry interference
in health policy.
See
Article 5.3 and guidelines at FCTC
site
Lobbyists'
register
To improve transparency, the Australian
Government established this
register of lobbyists and lobbying code of conduct in 2008.
NSW
legislation 2010
NSW law makes any "tobacco industry
business entity" a "prohibited donor" to any political party
or candidate.
Political
donations WA
Site maintained up to 2006 by then
Australian Democrat Senator Andrew Murray. A bit dated but contains some
useful data specifically relevant to WA.
|
