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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 1974 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

I think it is incumbent on all governments to examine innovative approaches in these areas. If, at the end of discussions between relevant parties in the community, it were determined that a shooting gallery concept - and it is a very emotive concept - were worth while pursuing, I certainly would be open-minded about taking that approach in this place and supporting it as Minister for Police. There have been some discussions on this issue between me and the Australian Federal Police and I think that the issue has been discussed, although not recently, with the Australian Federal Police Association. Mr Speaker, Mr Osborne would be aware of some of those discussions because he was present at some of those discussions.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, my question is also to Mr Humphries, in his role as Attorney-General and the Minister responsible for electoral matters. Mr Humphries, you would be aware of the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, which referred to the $1,500 threshold for disclosure of donations. It stated:

Section 314AC of the Electoral Act provides that political parties must disclose a sum of $1500 or more received from any one person or organisation during a financial year. Individual amounts of less than $500 need not be counted when calculating whether the $1500 sum has been reached ...

The Liberal Party submitted to this inquiry that the $1500 reporting figure should be raised to $10 000 -

since I mentioned the Liberal Party, I had better mention the Labor Party too -

... the ALP's National Secretary supported the proposed increase to $1500, -

the original one -

although he did not support an increase to $10 000 for reporting of total amounts received.

The recommendation, therefore, was:

that section 314AC(1) of the Electoral Act be amended so that political parties are required to disclose a total amount of $5000 or more, rather than $1500, received from a person or organisation during a financial year.

Last November, your Government, aided and abetted by the Opposition, lifted the requirements for political parties to disclose donations made to them. You argued that it was appropriate to do this to match a similar loosening of the controls in the Commonwealth requirement. Your changes lifted the total donations from one person which needed to be disclosed to $1,500, with the $500 limit, the same as there.

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