Summary

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The majority voted against amendments introduced by Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie (Jacqui Lambie Network), which means they were unsuccessful.

While outlining the Greens Party's support for the bill, Queensland Senator Larissa Waters (Greens) explained some aspects of these amendments:

The Greens will be supporting this amendment which has a series of features within it. It lowers the disclosure threshold, which we support, as we've discussed already on this bill ... my understanding is that this amendment would impose a threshold of disclosure of $2,500, but that's a damn sight less than $14,300. I understand that this now also has some changes to the time frame for disclosure. As I said earlier today, at the minute you need to disclose only once a year, on 1 February, and because of the time lag between calendar years and financial years it can be up to 19 months before it's put in the public domain as to which donor donated to which political party. That is so far beneath what is a transparent and accountable approach to disclosure ... These amendments would have, on my reading of them, a six-month disclosure time frame—which, again, is not quite as rigorous as the Greens would like, but it is still better than the current rules. So, on that basis, we support that element, because it's an improvement.

I understand that there are also some provisions in this amendment that go to anonymous donations. They've long been discussed, because it's a balance between the administrative burden we place on donors and political parties and the need for the public to know who's paying whom. There have long been recommendations for a cap of between $50 and $500 on anonymous donations. And when I say 'anonymous', the example often used is buying a raffle ticket at a party function, so it's not anything that's necessarily nefarious, as 'anonymous' might imply; it's merely those smaller amounts of casual support that many people express and that aren't of a significant amount that would exert an undue influence.

Again, my understanding of these amendments is that they lower that threshold to $500. The Greens would like to see it lower than that. We've pegged it at $50 but, on the basis that this proposed threshold is at least an improvement on our current laws, we will be supporting that as well.

Votes Not passed by a modest majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (50% turnout) 4 Yes 0 No
Mehreen Faruqi NSW Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Nick McKim Tasmania Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Absent
Jordon Steele-John WA Absent
Larissa Waters Queensland Absent
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Absent
Australian Labor Party (12% turnout) 0 Yes 3 No
Don Farrell SA No
Kristina Keneally NSW No
Malarndirri McCarthy NT No
Tim Ayres NSW Absent
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Absent
Carol Brown Tasmania Absent
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Absent
Raff Ciccone Victoria Absent
Patrick Dodson WA Absent
Alex Gallacher SA Absent
Katy Gallagher ACT Absent
Nita Green Queensland Absent
Kimberley Kitching Victoria Absent
Jenny McAllister NSW Absent
Deborah O'Neill NSW Absent
Helen Polley Tasmania Absent
Louise Pratt WA Absent
Tony Sheldon NSW Absent
Marielle Smith SA Absent
Glenn Sterle WA Absent
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Absent
Jess Walsh Victoria Absent
Murray Watt Queensland Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Stirling Griff SA Centre Alliance Yes
Rex Patrick SA Centre Alliance Yes
Sam McMahon NT Country Liberal Party Absent
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Absent
Rex Patrick SA Independent Absent
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Jacqui Lambie Network Yes
Liberal National Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
James McGrath Queensland No
Matthew Canavan Queensland Absent
Liberal Party (55% turnout) 0 Yes 16 No
Alex Antic SA No
Wendy Askew Tasmania No
Andrew Bragg NSW No
Slade Brockman WA No
Claire Chandler Tasmania No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Mathias Cormann WA No
David Fawcett SA No
Sarah Henderson Victoria No
Hollie Hughes NSW No
Andrew McLachlan SA No
Matt O'Sullivan WA No
James Paterson Victoria No
Gerard Rennick Queensland No
Paul Scarr Queensland No
Amanda Stoker Queensland No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
Simon Birmingham SA Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania Absent
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW Absent
Jane Hume Victoria Absent
Jim Molan NSW Absent
Marise Payne NSW Absent
Linda Reynolds WA Absent
Anne Ruston SA Absent
Zed Seselja ACT Absent
Dean Smith WA Absent
David Van Victoria Absent
National Party (33% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
Perin Davey NSW No
Susan McDonald Queensland Absent
Bridget McKenzie Victoria Absent
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (0% turnout) Absent
Pauline Hanson Queensland Absent
Malcolm Roberts Queensland Absent
Scott Ryan Victoria President Absent
Totals (37% turnout) 7 Yes – 21 No