Charities could be collateral damage in QLD Government’s attempt to cut influence of money in politics
The Palaszczuk Government yesterday introduced the Electoral and Other Legislation (Accountability, Integrity and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2019 that would limit political donations and spending in Queensland elections.
Alice Drury, Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the bill has great potential to be game changing reform, however amendments were needed to ensure charities and community groups won’t be silenced.
“Limits on political donations and election spending are vital to ensure politicians are responding to those with the best ideas, not those with the biggest bank balance. This proposed law goes a long way to restoring democracy and achieving greater political equality. However changes are needed to ensure that advocacy by charities and small grassroots campaigns is not stifled.”
“These laws can have unintended consequences for people who are actively engaged in the issues that they care about, be it climate change or women’s rights. It’s critical that the laws do not effectively prevent small charities and local community groups from speaking on important issues in an election year.”
The proposal will limit third parties from receiving $4,000 per term in donations - or less than $20 per week – for election-relate advocacy. As a result, charities will struggle to raise funds to speak out on matters in the public interest.
By contrast corporations will not face any restrictions on the income they can use on campaigning, and will be able to spend up to $1 million each on advertising in the lead up to a Queensland election.
“If the Queensland Government wants to avoid worsening the political inequality that exists between the big banks, mining companies, the gambling industry and ordinary Queenslanders, the proposed laws should be amended so that they do not capture small community advocacy, and exempt charities from onerous the donation limits,” said Drury.
The exemption for charities is particularly important, given that charities are already prevented from promoting or opposing political parties by Federal charity laws.
“It is so critical that these laws don’t chill the voice of charities and ordinary Queenslanders while leaving big businesses to run large-scale election campaigns. If reforms aren’t made to this Bill, the Government could inadvertently worsen political inequality in Queensland. However if these amendments are made, these laws would be an enormous win for raising the voices of ordinary Queenslanders in elections.”
“It is vital that the Palaszczuk Government sit down with civil society before this proposal becomes law to work through the unintended consequences for advocacy,” said Drury.
Media contact:
Michelle Bennett, Communications Director, Human Rights Law Centre: 0419 100 519