The South Australian Government is set to introduce legislation to ban political donations to registered parties and candidates and cap the amount of money third party groups can spend on election campaigns. The bill would restructure public funding for political parties and includes a payment to support new entrants to politics.
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00:00Getting the balance right, in a bid to level the political playing field.
00:07The principle of removing money from politics is a good one, but its delivery in terms of
00:12execution is hard to get right.
00:15Peter Malinowskis pledged to ban political donations ahead of the 2022 election, and
00:20in June, the government released a draft bill for public consultation, and after months
00:25of negotiations, the Premier now believes he has the support needed to reform how politics
00:31and money collide in South Australia.
00:33This new bill is enhanced and even better when it comes to our pursuit of improving
00:40the integrity around our political process.
00:43The legislation stops donations to MPs, candidates and parties, caps the amount parties, candidates
00:49and third party groups can spend, and increases public funding to make up the shortfall based
00:55on the number of votes received, plus administrative funding, while allowing new entrants and independents
01:00to receive donations of up to $5,000.
01:03The Liberal Party has been part of the consultation and will consider the policy at a joint party
01:08room meeting on Monday night, but the government only needs the support of the Greens in the
01:12Upper House to see it pass.
01:14I think it will strengthen faith in our political systems and also ensure that our parliament
01:21is able to tackle the crises that we face without the influence of vested interests.
01:26One of the biggest concerns of the draft bill was that it might lead to the type of third
01:30party super PACs that wield so much influence on American politics, but by regulating the
01:37expenditure of external groups, the government has gained the support of many of those it
01:42was negotiating with.
01:44We do believe that the legislation now in its amended form, with its inclusion of a
01:49cap on third parties, is a strong mechanism to prevent what we see happening in the US
01:54happening here.
01:55The government knows though that this type of reform may be challenged in the High Court.
02:00It wants the bill passed before the end of the year and for it to take effect on July
02:051, nine months out from the next state election.