Report on the funding of political parties and election campaigns

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Report on the funding of political parties and election campaigns

9 December 2011

View the report as a single document - (PDF 2885KB)

View the report as separate downloadable parts:


Preliminary Pages	(PDF 195KB)

Chapter 1 Introduction	(PDF 64KB)
Scope Conduct Report structure

Chapter 2 Background	(PDF 227KB)
Overview The rising costs of election campaigning Federal developments Committee and related activities Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Political Donations and Other Measures) Bills Electoral Reform Green Paper: Donations, Funding and Expenditure JSCEM Roundtable on the Green Paper 43rd Parliament reform agreements State developments New South Wales Queensland Victoria Australian Capital Territory International developments Is further reform needed? Conclusion

Chapter 3 Private funding	(PDF 247KB)
Sources of private funding Is change to the current scheme necessary? Conclusion Setting the disclosure threshold Conclusion Application of the disclosure threshold Conclusion Fundraising events Conclusion Classification of receipts Conclusion Frequency of reporting Contemporaneous or continuous disclosure Donation reports during elections Six-monthly reporting Special reporting of large donations Conclusion Different reporting obligations for donors and political parties Conclusion

Chapter 4 Options for private funding reform	(PDF 185KB)
Donation caps Conclusion Bans on types of donations Corporate donations Conclusion Anonymous donations Conclusion Limits on donations from individuals Conclusion

Chapter 5 Expenditure	(PDF 221KB)
Background Current arrangements Improving the current system Conclusion Campaign committees lodging returns Conclusion Further reform options Broadcast advertising expenditure Constitutional issues Conclusion

Chapter 6 Public funding - Administrative funding	(PDF 224KB)
Background and current arrangements The effectiveness of a public funding scheme Conclusion Election funding Increasing the fairness of the public funding system A higher threshold Conclusion A reimbursement scheme Conclusion Funding for new political parties Conclusion Elected candidates and funding Conclusion Payment of election funding Conclusion Conclusion

Chapter 7 Third parties and associated entities	(PDF 225KB)
Current arrangements Improving the current scheme An ‘issue in an election’ Opinion polls or other research Conclusion Frequency of third party disclosure Conclusion Partisan connections of third parties Conclusion Disclosure threshold for third parties Conclusion Disclosure rules for donors to third parties Conclusion Further reform options Caps on third party expenditure Caps on donations to third parties Conclusion A third party registration scheme Conclusion Definition of associated entity Conclusion

Chapter 8 Compliance	(PDF 181KB)
Improving the current system Administrative penalties Strengthening current penalties Conclusion Compliance review powers Conclusion Further reform options Proactive enforcement Conclusion

Chapter 9 Relationships between federal, and state and territory arrangements	(PDF 105KB)
Background Support for harmonisation Key issues Constitutional and federalism issues Options for reform Conclusion

Chapter 10 Other issues	(PDF 99KB)
Administrative body for funding and disclosure Conclusion Internal rules for corporate donations Conclusion

Dissenting report – The Hon. Bronwyn Bishop MP, The Hon. Alex Somlyay MP, Senator Scott Ryan, Mr Dan Tehan MP and Mr Darren Chester MP	(PDF 220KB)
Introduction The Disclosure Threshold Circumvention of Disclosure Laws Changing the definition of ‘gift’ Tax deductibility and the inconsistency of public 'funding' Membership and Donations Third Parties Summary

Dissenting report – Senator Lee Rhiannon, The Australian Greens	(PDF 117KB)
Summary Overview Short term measures Long term solutions

Appendix A—Submissions and Exhibits	(PDF 38KB)

Appendix B—Hearings and Witnesses	(PDF 51KB)

Appendix C—Commonwealth disclosure requirements	(PDF 35KB)

Appendix D—Comparison of Commonwealth, State and Territory schemes	(PDF 54KB)

Appendix E—Comparison of international political financing schemes	(PDF 37KB)

Appendix F—Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Tobacco Industry Donations) Bill 2011	(PDF 59KB)

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