The SMH argues in its recent editorial that the Government should tackle donations rules by reducing the disclosure threshold to $1000, capping total donations, banning foreign donations, and increasing public funding to reduce reliance on political influence-seekers.
As the Herald has stressed repeatedly, political donations reform is still unfinished democratic business.
And change is more important than ever following the extraordinary finding of the NSW Electoral Commission against a secretive slush fund that donates to the Liberal Party.
To mend this broken system, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull needs to commit to federal donations reform. We need a level playing field for parties large and small; the real-time transparency voters demand; and less opportunity for donors to buy political influence.
No matter the political spin or legal technicalities, the current system of donations can be gamed and corrupted. Having done the right thing on Senate voting, Mr Turnbull, the Greens and Senator Xenophon should tackle donations rules at the earliest possible opportunity.
They can do that by reducing the disclosure threshold to $1000, capping total donations, funding real-time, 24/7 reporting of donations, banning foreign donations, and increasing public funding to reduce reliance on political influence-seekers.
