2nd May 2016, 4:20 PM – Senate Motions — Donations to Political Parties

The majority of Senators disagreed with Senator Lee Rhiannon's motion:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) there is strong evidence that Leighton Holdings paid millions of dollars to Unaoil in 2010 and 2011, and was involved in serious corruption in Iraq,

(ii) since 2010, Leighton Holdings has donated at least $143,000 to the federal Liberal Party of Australia and the Australian Labor Party,

(iii) in 2014-15 the property industry donated $1.8 million to the Liberal Party of Australia and $591,167 to the Australian Labor Party,

(iv) in 2014-15, Westpac, ANZ, NAB, the Commonwealth Bank and the Macquarie Group donated $1,057,361 to the major parties, and

(v) in 2013-14, Brickworks provided $263,000 in donations to the Liberal Party and offered in-kind campaign support to the federal Liberal Party to repeal the carbon price;

(b) the High Court of Australia Justices Kiefel, Bell, Keane and Chief Justice French stated in McCloy v NSW that reliance by political candidates on private patronage may, over time become so necessary as to sap the vitality as well as the integrity of the political branches of government; and

(c) calls on the Government to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to ban donations from property developers, tobacco industry business entities, liquor business entities, gambling industry business entities, mineral resources or mining industry business entities, and industry lobby groups who represent these entities.