I can't do better than Stephen Mayne in Crikey today on the annual release by the Australian Electoral Commission of donations to political parties. It's pretty much the same old ugly story, but a tick for Labor for voluntarily disclosing donations over $1000, while the the Opposition which is blocking the change in the Senate sticks to the letter of the law and anonymity for anything less than $10900. Generally on the disclosure front:
Coalition opposition in the Senate means that not too much has changed on the campaign disclosure front. The figures are still released up to 19 months after the event, there are no consolidated balance sheets, no detailed breakdowns of spending and no restrictions on who can donate. Foreign dictators could pour millions into an Australian political party. Indeed, the Singapore Government gave $20,000 to both major federal parties through Optus, a business whose fortunes are particularly vulnerable to federal laws and regulations.
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