Extract from The Guardian
The Palaszczuk government’s first bill before Queensland parliament
overturn laws that increased secrecy around political donations
The Palaszczuk Labor government’s first bill before Queensland
parliament will wind back laws that increased secrecy around political
donations and put in place the “mechanism” for realtime donor reporting.
The government will also advertise within days for a replacement for controversial Crime and Corruption Commission chair Ken Levy, who still faces the possibility of criminal charges after a police investigation into whether he lied to parliament.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday said her government would introduce laws in the first sitting week of parliament later this month to lower the donation reporting threshold from $12,800 to $1000.
This will apply to the period after November 2013, forcing the Liberal National party – which in government was obliged to disclose only 40% of its funding after it lifted the threshold – to retrospectively reveal an unknown number of donations.
Palaszczuk, who directed Labor to continue reporting $1000-plus donations in opposition, said the LNP “went to extraordinary lengths to tear down Queensland’s integrity and accountability framework, and Queenslanders punished them for it”.
“I took a stand on behalf of Queenslanders at the last election and made a promise to them that Labor would restore the independence to the state’s corruption watchdog and reverse the LNP’s secret political donation laws,” she said in a statement. “Today I deliver on those commitments.”
Palaszczuk said Labor would “seek to develop” a real time donation disclosure system – a promise to independent MP Peter Wellington as part of winning his support in minority government - but in the meantime would return reporting requirements to every six months rather than once a year.
“I think this is a really exciting step forward when it comes to integrity and accountability issues,” she said.
“There will be significant logistical challenges to tackle before this system, but the amendments we will introduce will provide the mechanism to pursue real-time disclosure.
“We want to get this right because it will ensure Queensland is at the forefront of open and transparent government.”
Labor will also abolish LNP laws that forced voters to produce identification when voting in elections, a requirement that was unique to Queensland.
The attorney general Yvette D’Ath said the government would begin its “international search” for a new CCC chair by the end of the week.
Levy, the acting chair, was the subject of a recently completed police investigation into whether he lied to the agency’s parliamentary oversight committee about his dealings with the former Newman LNP government.
The Newman government removed the need for bipartisan support of the CCC chair appointment and restructured the agency to make its priority investigating organised crime rather than official corruption or misconduct.
“Queensland needs a strong, independent chair of the CCC. I don’t believe that having a hand-picked chair act in the role for over two years has been appropriate,” D’Ath said.
“Under a Labor government, the CCC will be beholden to no one and be given real investigative teeth. Queensland’s corruption watchdog should be nothing less.”
Labor will introduce the electoral law amendments around donations to parliament in the week beginning March 24.
The government will also advertise within days for a replacement for controversial Crime and Corruption Commission chair Ken Levy, who still faces the possibility of criminal charges after a police investigation into whether he lied to parliament.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday said her government would introduce laws in the first sitting week of parliament later this month to lower the donation reporting threshold from $12,800 to $1000.
This will apply to the period after November 2013, forcing the Liberal National party – which in government was obliged to disclose only 40% of its funding after it lifted the threshold – to retrospectively reveal an unknown number of donations.
Palaszczuk, who directed Labor to continue reporting $1000-plus donations in opposition, said the LNP “went to extraordinary lengths to tear down Queensland’s integrity and accountability framework, and Queenslanders punished them for it”.
“I took a stand on behalf of Queenslanders at the last election and made a promise to them that Labor would restore the independence to the state’s corruption watchdog and reverse the LNP’s secret political donation laws,” she said in a statement. “Today I deliver on those commitments.”
Palaszczuk said Labor would “seek to develop” a real time donation disclosure system – a promise to independent MP Peter Wellington as part of winning his support in minority government - but in the meantime would return reporting requirements to every six months rather than once a year.
“I think this is a really exciting step forward when it comes to integrity and accountability issues,” she said.
“There will be significant logistical challenges to tackle before this system, but the amendments we will introduce will provide the mechanism to pursue real-time disclosure.
“We want to get this right because it will ensure Queensland is at the forefront of open and transparent government.”
Labor will also abolish LNP laws that forced voters to produce identification when voting in elections, a requirement that was unique to Queensland.
The attorney general Yvette D’Ath said the government would begin its “international search” for a new CCC chair by the end of the week.
Levy, the acting chair, was the subject of a recently completed police investigation into whether he lied to the agency’s parliamentary oversight committee about his dealings with the former Newman LNP government.
The Newman government removed the need for bipartisan support of the CCC chair appointment and restructured the agency to make its priority investigating organised crime rather than official corruption or misconduct.
“Queensland needs a strong, independent chair of the CCC. I don’t believe that having a hand-picked chair act in the role for over two years has been appropriate,” D’Ath said.
“Under a Labor government, the CCC will be beholden to no one and be given real investigative teeth. Queensland’s corruption watchdog should be nothing less.”
Labor will introduce the electoral law amendments around donations to parliament in the week beginning March 24.
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