Determining if changes to electoral legislation have kept foreign donations out of Australian elections will be the focus of a public hearing by federal parliament’s Electoral Matters Committee.

Media release issue date: Monday, 22 March 2021

Determining if changes to electoral legislation have kept foreign donations out of Australian elections will be the focus of a public hearing by federal parliament’s Electoral Matters Committee. Committee Chair Senator James McGrath said, ‘The public hearing is an opportunity to examine whether changes to the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Act 2018, have improved transparency and accountability of foreign political donations and whether the Act’s objectives have been achieved’. The committee is also interested in the impacts of amendments to the original bill that are relevant to charitable issue-based advocacy. The committee will hear from the Australian Electoral Commission, charities and not-for profits. Date: Monday, 29 March 2021 Time: 12.00 pm to 4.15 pm AEDT Place: Committee Room 1R1 and via teleconference Information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference, may be found on the inquiry webpage. The hearing will be broadcast live on the Parliament of Australia website. Media inquiries Sam Jackson Office of Senator the Hon James McGrath 0439 477 005 or (07) 5441 1800 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2374 em@aph.gov.au

The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters presented its report today for its inquiry into the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Real Time Disclosure of Political Donations) Bill 2019.

Media release issue date: Tuesday, 17 December 2019

  Submissions are now open for the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters inquiry into the 2019 Federal Election. The roles of pre-poll voting, political advertising standards, disinformation and third-party actors are expected to be examined by the Committee. Committee Chair, Senator James McGrath said that Australia had seen more people casting their vote before election day than ever before. ‘More and more Australians are choosing to vote early. It is imperative we have voting options, but we need to examine what impact this increased uptake in pre-poll voting is having’, he said. Senator McGrath said the rise of social media manipulation and disinformation campaigns were a threat to democracy. ‘Increasingly, Australians are consuming and accessing their news online, away from traditional offline sources. We need to ensure our electoral processes take the serious dangers of digital platforms and disinformation into account.’ The Committee is expected to hear from a wide range of individuals and organisations, including the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). Senator McGrath said, ‘Elections are everybody’s business, so we are not just reviewing the AECs performance. This inquiry is an opportunity to look at all actors who participate in our elections, including third-parties. It is an opportunity to see what we can do to improve future elections.’ Submissions are open until 20 September 2019. The terms of reference can be found on the Committee's website. Media inquiries Ms Brooke Hargraves Office of Senator the Hon James McGrath 0458 689 043 or 07 5441 1800 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2374 | em@aph.gov.au