Page 2154 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 2020

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I think Mr Coe was quite reasonable in his comments about the difficulties of determining if someone is a property developer, given that you cannot look at the DA register or anything like that. In particular, I am concerned about close associates—that is, partners—who may not realise that their partner put in a few DAs seven years ago, when they quite possibly had nothing whatsoever to do with their partner, and their partner may not have talked with them at length about what they did seven years ago.

So we are trying to get the balance between not allowing the wrong thing to happen and making something that is actually practicable, bearing in mind that most political parties have quite a few volunteers who are involved in at least lower levels of fundraising. You would not want to see them inadvertently having a criminal penalty for something that was an absolute mistake. We do support the concept of criminal penalties for large and obviously flagrant problems, but for small amounts of money, under $250, it does not seem warranted.

Amendments agreed to.

MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for the Arts and Cultural Events, Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Minister for Business and Regulatory Services and Minister for Seniors and Veterans) (6.53): I move amendment No 4 circulated in my name [see schedule 6 at page 2173]. This is a minor amendment in relation to the offence under the new section 222F(3) which prohibits a person giving a gift to a political entity on behalf of a property developer. The amendment ensures that the offence also applies to gifts given on behalf of a close associate of a property developer.

This amendment is consistent with the bill’s intention for offences to apply in relation to gifts from property developers as well as their close associates. It is also consistent with the offence under the new section 222G(1), which provides that it is an offence for a political entity to accept a gift made by or on behalf of a property developer or a close associate.

Amendment agreed to.

MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (6.55): I move amendment No 32 circulated in my name [see schedule 5 at page 2172]. This amendment provides that gifts that are accepted from property developers and their close associates to political entities and that are less than $250 must be repaid to the territory. It recognises that not all donations, or the receipt of them, are equally serious. The acceptance of small

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