Democracy & Integrity

End dirty donations and make government contracts fairer

Fossil fuel companies continue to donate to both major parties. In return, the Labor government is following a bipartisan tradition of handing out $10 billion annually in fossil fuel subsidies, accelerating climate destruction.
The Big 4 consulting firms have donated over $4.3 million to both sides of politics in the past decade and secured $8 billion in government contracts in the same period. Corporations expect their donations to yield returns for their bottom line.

It’s time to ban political donations from harmful industries and reform how public funds are allocated so governments serve people, not corporate interests.

The Greens will:

• Prohibit political donations from industries causing social harm, such as banking, mining, defence, pharmaceuticals, liquor, tobacco, gambling, and property development. Restrict corporations and their associates from receiving public contracts, tenders, or grants for 12 months before and after making political donations to the ruling party.

Legislate Truth in Political Advertising

Political advertising is rife with misrepresentation and false claims, with no penalties for spreading misinformation. During the 2022 election, misleading ads claimed, "The only way to get rid of Morrison is to Vote 1 Labor." Despite multiple complaints, the AEC ruled these ads didn’t breach the rules, undermining trust in our electoral system.
It’s time to restore integrity to political advertising.

The Greens will:

• Introduce truth in political advertising laws with strict penalties for non-compliance.

Require timely disclosure of political donations

The community is losing confidence that their representatives act in their interests, rather than for their corporate donors.

In the last financial year, over a third of all political donations fell below the $15,200 disclosure threshold. Many 'membership fees' and cash-for-access event fees are not classed as political donations, keeping them hidden from public scrutiny.

By removing the influence of big money and increasing transparency around political donations, we can restore trust and ensure democracy works for people and the planet.

The Greens will: 

• Tighten the definition of “gift” to capture all money or in kind contributions to parties and candidates. 
• Require all money or in kind contributions to parties and candidates over $1,000 to be transparently reported. ($25m over forward estimates in dept funding). Place a low cap on political donations and require all registered political parties, state branches of political parties, individual political candidates, or associated entities to declare all (cumulative) political donations.

Strengthen Lobbying Regulations

Since 2001, every resources minister in Coalition and Labor governments has transitioned to roles in the fossil fuel industry. This revolving door between politicians and lobbyists must be stopped to ensure government decisions benefit the public, not vested interests.

Lobbyist reforms, including strengthening the Code of Conduct, are needed to shine a light on who is meeting who, and prevent the revolving door giving donors, former politicians and industry mates lucrative perks.

The Greens will:

• Strengthen the Lobbying Code of Conduct to include in-house lobbyists and implement stronger penalties for breaches. Require Ministers to publish detailed meeting diaries. Extend the cooling-off period for former Ministers becoming lobbyists from 18 months to 5 years, and include senior staff.

Increase ANAO funding

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) plays a vital role in providing independent oversight of government spending. However, it is underfunded, limiting its ability to uncover waste and pork-barrelling.

Pork barrelling erodes public trust in politicians, in government and wastes taxpayer money.

The Greens will: 

• Increase ANAO funding by 5%, enabling it to conduct 55 audits of government programs annually, up from 48.

Increase public participation in decision making

Trust in our political leaders and our institutions is incredibly low after years of blatant misuse of public funds.

Democracy should go beyond casting a vote; it should include genuine public participation in decisions that shape our lives and future, delivering better policy, better outcomes and stronger, more cohesive communities.

A Public Interest Democracy Fund, administered by the Department of Parliamentary Services, will support trials of innovative programs and digital platforms to put people back at the heart of parliament.

The Greens will:

• Establish a Public Interest Democracy
• Fund to trial innovative participatory programs ($10m).
• The fund can be used to:
• Support citizen juries to complement parliamentary processes. Reform question time to allow public questions and enhance government scrutiny. Enable petitions with over 5,000 signatures to trigger parliamentary debates.

Amend Section 44 of the Constitution

Parliament should reflect Australia’s diversity, yet Section 44 of the Constitution creates barriers for over half the population. 

ABS data shows 51.5% of Australians were born overseas or have a parent who was, and many face disqualification from election due to dual citizenship.  Section 44 also excludes public servants, including teachers, nurses, and firefighters, unless they quit their jobs to run. 

These outdated rules hinder Australians from participating fully in the political process. Reforming Section 44 is long overdue to ensure Parliament truly represents our community.

The Greens will:

• Hold a referendum to amend Section, allowing dual citizens and other disqualified groups to run for office. The referendum would be held at the same time as a general election, minimising costs to the taxpayer.

Implement the Set the Standard Report in full

Workplace safety and respect in parliamentary environments must be prioritised. Further reforms to parliamentary culture, as recommended by the Set the Standard report,  need to be rolled out nationally as a matter of urgency.

The Greens will:

• Establish an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission to ensure all parliamentary staff work in safe and respectful environments.