Reform must be done right

OPPOSITION Leader Rebecca White says it would be “unwise” for the Parliament to move on much-needed electoral donations reform until the public consultation phase and formal review has properly played out. The Mercury agrees.

While it is vital that Tasmania’s electoral donations laws — now the most lax of any state — are changed, it is just as important that we get that change right.

The Government has set out a pretty clear pathway for this to happen. On May 3 last year, Premier Will Hodgman unveiled the terms of reference for the review of the Electoral Act and associated laws. Those terms of reference included whether state-based disclosure laws should be introduced and, if so, what those laws should include. They also proposed an investigation into the level of regulation of third parties during election campaigns. And they promised to modernise certain sections of the Electoral Act — including the removal of the ban, unique to Tasmania, on newspapers (and newspapers only) on any reporting about the election on polling day.

All these changes are important. We learned last week that the current rules that relate to electoral donations laws in Tasmania (they are actually the federal ones, that we default to) mean 77 per cent of the $5.72 million donated last financial year to the state’s three major parties never will never to be revealed. (The Greens have disclosed theirs voluntarily). Further, single donors can make as many donations as they like under the $13,800 threshold and remain anonymous. And those donations that do need to be disclosed only need to be done so once a year, months and months after the cash is delivered to the parties. For all these

Reform is desperately needed ... but it’s also vital that we take the time to ensure the best possible outcome.

reasons — and more, including that 94 per cent of our readers want this to change — it is now way past the time that these rules are replaced with ones that stand some chance of delivering trust in the electoral process.

The Government’s interim report into this issue was unveiled in December — essentially a discussion paper that outlined what the situation is across Australia. Public submissions on it close on Monday week, and the Government has committed to progress that conversation through this year.

Meanwhile, draft legislation dealing with the ban on newspaper reporting has been released for public consultation. That draft Bill also includes a range of changes requested by the Electoral Commission that would extend postal voting periods. The Mercury is firmly of the belief that this legislation should be introduced to the Parliament as a matter of priority, as the outdated, unique and ridiculous ban on reporting about politics on polling day will otherwise remain in force for the May 4 Legislative Council election. But there is a pretty fair chance that when the Government introduces these changes either the Greens or Labor will use that as an opportunity play politics and seek to amend the Bill to include disclosure reforms.

But Ms White is right: that would be the wrong approach. While reform is desperately needed, what is also vital is that process is allowed the time required to ensure the best possible outcome — one that lifts Tasmania from lagging the rest of the nation on these important matters to perhaps leading the way.

Responsibility for all editorial comment is taken by the Editor, Chris Jones, Level 1, 2 Salamanca Square, Hobart, TAS, 7000