BANK ON IT
Re-elected Premier vows campaign donations reform
PREMIER Will Hodgman has said he will consider political donations reform — a day after he was re-elected on the back of a huge advertising campaign linked to the gaming lobby.
Tasmania has the weakest disclosure rules of any state, and Labor leader Rebecca White has blamed the cashed-up campaign against her side by poker machine interests for the party’s failure to secure a better result.
In an exclusive interview yesterday, Mr Hodgman said: “There are a number of issues that have become apparent in this campaign that could be looked at.”
He also said his government’s priorities for its second term would be health, education reforms, energy and roads.
POLITICAL donations reform will be on the radar of the new State Government, Premier Will Hodgman has declared a day after he was re-elected on the back of a huge advertising campaign linked to the gaming lobby.
Mr Hodgman said he was open to considering changes to the state’s rules on donations to political parties.
Tasmania has the weakest disclosure rules of any state, with parties only required to declare donations over $13,200 at the end of each financial year.
This mean voters did not know who was bankrolling the campaigns of the major parties before Saturday’s vote.
Opposition Leader Rebecca White and Greens counterpart Cassy O’Connor both suggested the election had been fought unfairly because of donations to the Liberals that followed Labor’s policy to remove poker machines from pubs and clubs from 2023.
Mr Hodgman consistently said throughout the campaign his party would comply with all disclosure laws.
But he signalled he would be open to change as he took charge of his second term of government.
“We should always look at how we can improve our laws,” Mr Hodgman said.
“We’ve fought this campaign on the basis of what are national laws and it’s expected that all parties will abide by them.
“But we should not be afraid to look at how we can do things better.
“In the wash-up of any election we should look at our democratic processes and there are a number of issues that have become apparent through this campaign that could be looked at.”
Labor went to the poll promising to overhaul donations rules within its first 100 days of office.
The ALP policy would have capped election expenditure, including by third parties, lowered the threshold for disclosure from $13,200 to less than $2000 and made parties reveal money received within 14 days.
The changes mirror similar reforms set to be introduced in Victoria before its next election, and Mr Hodgman said interstate models should be considered.
“They’re the sorts of things we should look at, what’s happening in other jurisdictions,” he said.
“It is a national debate as well as a jurisdictional one and there is stuff worth looking at that’s happening in other states. So, we will certainly do that. I have no doubt that the other parties will be pressing for a look at these things, so I’m more than prepared to say if we can do things differently and better we should.”
Mr Hodgman spent the day after his historic victory with his family watching son James captain the University of Tasmania’s under-15 cricket team against Lindisfarne.
He committed to another four years in the job and said his government’s priorities would be health, education reforms, energy and roads.
A Cabinet reshuffle is also on the agenda. “I’ve got ministers that are part-way through what they’ve start- ed and are committed to the course, but a refresh of our line-up will be important as well to drive the secondterm agenda,” he said.
The Government would look to improve its engagement with the Legislative Council, which blocked several major Bills during Mr Hodgman’s first term, he said.
“We’ve learned form the past four years that, while we got most of what we wanted and what we promised done, we need to continue to work on the personal relationships with the Legislative Council, the working arrangements,” he said.