Corporate influence over federal politics is threatening our democracy: new report finds
A damning new report details how the fossil fuels, tobacco and gambling industries use their wealth to manipulate Australia’s democratic processes to put their profits ahead of the wellbeing of Australians.
Selling Out: How powerful industries corrupt our democracy, highlights how the three big industries are capitalising on the Australian government’s weak integrity laws and focuses on key ways these industries influence politicians — contributing financially to political parties, lobbying and running public attack campaigns in elections.
Selling Out also details the human cost of this form of legalised corruption, from lives destroyed by addiction to whole communities lost to climate change-induced natural disasters, and provides clear solutions to stop the cycle of corporate influence in our politics.
Australia is falling well behind other advanced democracies when it comes to regulating corporate influence over our federal politicians: what is considered illegal and corrupt conduct overseas is business as usual in Canberra.
Read: Selling Out: How powerful industries corrupt our democracy
Human Rights Law Centre Senior Lawyer, Alice Drury, said:
“In a healthy democracy, the best interests of people, communities and our planet are at the heart of every single decision our government makes. But right now, big industries like fossil fuels and gambling are distorting democratic processes to win political outcomes that put their profits ahead of our wellbeing.”
“Australians support reforms to make our communities less addicted and our environment healthier, but the fossil fuels, tobacco and gambling industries are building political power to block sensible regulation. It doesn’t have to be this way. There are solutions that our Parliament could pass tomorrow to make our democracy stronger, and ensure our elected representatives listen to us, the people.”
Australian Council on Smoking and Health Chief Executive, Maurice Swanson said:
“Political donations from the tobacco industry should be prohibited immediately by the Federal parliament and all State and Territory parliaments.”
“These donations corrupt the political process and undermine and delay the passage of legislation that would significantly reduce smoking in Australia, and the thousands of preventable cases of lung cancer, heart disease and serious lung disease that occur every year in this country.”
Alliance for Gambling Reform Head of Campaigns, Dr Kate da Costa said:
“Reducing and preventing harm from gambling will benefit all Australians through evidence-based public health measures. These common sense reforms will reduce the burden on services and save governments money. These initiatives should always prioritize individual and community health above profit taking for a few.”
“This report shows how that is simply not happening in Australia – the gambling industry can protect casinos which break the law, have Ministers removed from portfolios and slow down reforms designed to keep organised crime out of community spaces. We know the community supports reforms to poker machines and sports gambling advertising – this report clearly spells out why those reforms are not happening.”
Australian Conservation Foundation Democracy Campaigner, Jolene Elberth, said:
“Each year, coal and gas companies spend millions lobbying our politicians and buying access to decision makers through political donations in order to influence government policy in the direction of their own corporate interests, rather than what is in the best interest of people and the planet.”
“It’s why the Australian government chose a ‘gas-fired recovery’ rather than investing in renewables and why we have an inadequate national climate policy.
“We need common sense integrity reforms so that our politicians listen to the communities they are elected to represent, rather than the corporations that fund their campaigns.”
Read: Selling Out: How powerful industries corrupt our democracy
Image: Mick Tsikas, AAP
Media contact:
Alex Sheehy, Media and Communications Manager, 0485 864 320, alex.sheehy@hrlc.org.au