Do Greens and crossbenchers who claim that transparency and integrity is at the heart of their reason for entering Parliament <br>
<br>
in the first place hear themselves?<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
In the past few days they have mounted self-serving arguments against <br>
<br>
proposed electoral reforms that the major parties look <br>
<br>
set to come together to support.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The reforms include caps for how much money wealthy individuals can donate, caps on the amount candidates can spend in individual electorates <br>
<br>
to prevent the equivalent of an arms race, and a $90million limit on what any party can spend <br>
<br>
at an election - actually less than the major parties currently spend.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The proposed new laws also include lower disclosure thresholds for donations, thus increasing the transparency of who makes political <br>
<br>
donations in the first place.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
So the wealthy wont be able to hide behind anonymity while using their cash <br>
<br>
to influence election outcomes - and the extent to which they can use their wealth at all will be limited.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The bill will further improve transparency by also increasing the speed and frequency that disclosures of donations need to <br>
<br>
be made.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
At present we have the absurd situation in which donations get made - but you only find out the details of who has given what to whom many months later, well after elections are won and lost.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
In other words, what is broadly being proposed will result in much greater transparency and far less big money being <br>
<br>
injected into campaigning by the wealthy.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Teal Kylea Tink claimed the major parties were 'running scared' with the policy and warned the reform would 'not stop the rot' <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Greens senate leader Larissa Waters (left) fired a warning shot - saying if <br>
<br>
it serves only the major parties 'it's a rort, <br>
<br>
not reform'. Teal independent ACT senator David Pocock (right) <br>
<br>
said: 'What seems to be happening is a major-party stitch-up'<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Anyone donating more than $1,000 to a political party,<br>
<br>
as opposed to $16,000 under the current rules, will need to disclose <br>
<br>
having done so. And how much they can donate will <br>
<br>
be capped.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Yet the Greens and Teals have quickly condemned the proposed new laws, labeling them a <br>
<br>
'stitch-up', 'outrageous' and 'a rort, not a reform'. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
They have lost their collective minds after finding out that Labor's proposal just might secure the support of the opposition.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I had to double check who was criticising what <br>
<br>
exactly before even starting to write this column.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Because I had assumed - incorrectly - that these important transparency measures stamping out the influence of the wealthy <br>
<br>
must have been proposed by the virtue-signalling Greens or <br>
<br>
the corruption-fighting Teals, in a united crossbench <br>
<br>
effort to drag the major parties closer to accountability.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
More fool me.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The bill, designed to clean up a rotten system, <br>
<br>
is being put forward by Labor and is opposed by a growing cabal of crossbenchers.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
It makes you wonder what they have to hide. Put simply, the <br>
<br>
Greens and Teals doth protest too much on this issue.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Labor is thought to be trying to muscle out major political donors <br>
<br>
such as Clive Palmer<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Another potential target of the laws is businessman and Teal funder Simon Holmes à <br>
<br>
Court<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The Greens have taken massive donations in the past, contrary to their irregular calls to tighten donations <br>
<br>
rules (Greens leader Adam Bandt and Senator Mehreen Faruqi are pictured)<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The major parties have long complained about the influence the likes of Simon Holmes à Court wields <br>
<br>
behind the scenes amongst the Teals. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
And we know the Greens have taken massive donations from the <br>
<br>
wealthy in the past, contrary to their irregular calls to tighten donations <br>
<br>
rules.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Now that tangible change has been proposed, these bastions <br>
<br>
of virtue are running a mile from reforms that <br>
<br>
will curtail dark art of political donations.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The Labor government isn't even seeking for these transparency rules to take effect immediately, by the way.<br>
<br>
It won't be some sort of quick-paced power play before the next <br>
<br>
election designed to catch the crossbench out.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
They are aiming for implementation by 2026, giving everyone <br>
<br>
enough time to absorb and understand the changes <br>
<br>
before preparing for them.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Don't get me wrong, no deal has yet been done between Labor <br>
<br>
and the Coalition. I imagine the opposition want to go over the laws with a fine tooth comb.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
As they should - because it certainly isn't beyond Labor to include hidden one-party advantages in the proposed <br>
<br>
design which would create loopholes only the unions are capable of taking advantage of, therefore disadvantaging the Coalition electorally in the years to come.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
But short of such baked-in trickiness scuttling <br>
<br>
a deal to get these proposed laws implemented, the crossbench should offer their <br>
<br>
support, not cynical opposition, to what is being advocated for.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
They might even be able to offer something <br>
<br>
worthwhile that could be incorporated in the package.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
To not do so exposes their utter hypocrisy and blowhard <br>
<br>
false commentary about being in politics to 'clean things up'.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
My web page: ขาย wine - http://www.v0795.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=248346
Do Greens and crossbenchers