Power Simon: Electoral (Finance Reform and Advance Voting) Amendment Bill Parliamentary Service Amendment Bill — Second Readings 
Power Simon: Electoral (Finance Reform and Advance Voting) Amendment Bill Parliamentary Service Amendment Bill — Second Readings 
[Volume:669;Page:15833] 
Hon SIMON POWER (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 I move  
That the Electoral (Finance Reform and Advance Voting) Amendment Bill and on behalf of the Leader of the House the Parliamentary Service Amendment Bill be now read a second time 
. I thank the Electoral Legislation Committee for its careful consideration of these bills. The committee had representatives from every parliamentary party and wherever possible sought cross-party consensus to promote an electoral finance regime that is as fair and transparent as possible to all groups and individuals participating in the electoral process. The other valuable contribution made by the committee as reflected in its recommendations was the way in which it balanced those goals with recognition of the practical realities of campaigning. 
The committee received 44 submissions from academics individuals organisations and political parties of which the majority generally supported the bill. Submitters generally supported the intent of the bill as introduced to avoid retrospective application of the regulated period. However some expressed concern that the Government of the day could gain a strategic advantage by knowing in advance when the regulated period could apply. The committee instead recommended that the default day for the regulated period should be amended to 2 years 9 months from the previous polling day. That will provide all parties and candidates with a backstop date when they need to take greater care with their activities. 
The committee also accepted suggestions from submitters to clarify the exclusions from the definition of “election advertisement” to make it clear that it does not include editorial information broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings and personal political views published on the Internet for which no payment is made or received. The committee also clarified the definition of “advertising expenses” by excluding non-commercial hoarding frameworks and defining the previous exclusion for travel. 
Another amended definition arose from the parallel work by the committee on the Parliamentary Service Amendment Bill—namely that the definition of “election advertisement” in the Electoral Finance Amendment Bill should exclude the publication of MPs’ contact information that is funded by the Parliamentary Service. The committee recommended changes to further strengthen transparency and accountability on election advertising including stricter conditions on promoter statements and prohibiting overseas persons and overseas organisations from becoming registered promoters. 
The majority of the committee also recommended an expenditure cap for third-party promoters of $300000. The Government recognises the strength of feeling from submitters regarding the influence that wealth potentially may have on election outcomes. Yet the cap is at a level that allows meaningful participation in the electoral process assuring freedom of expression. This level is set at more than twice the level under the previous Electoral Finance Act and applies to a regulated period that is one-quarter of the length. 
Third-party promoters who spend more than $100000 on election advertising will also need to file expense returns. For spending by candidates the committee recommended increasing the limit during the regulated period to $25000 for a general election and to $50000 for a by-election. It also recommended that the party expenditure limit be increased to reflect movement in the CPI and indeed to $25000 for the “contested electorate” component. 
In respect of donations the committee recommended increasing the disclosure threshold to $1500 for candidate donations and to $15000 for political party donations. Political parties will file a specific return with the Electoral Commission for donations over $30000. For smaller donations both the number of donations and the total amount of party donations for each so-called band will be disclosed. To reduce compliance costs the committee has replaced the associated entities regime in the bill with anti-collusion provisions. Submitters supported the advance voting provisions in the bill so no changes were recommended. 
The Parliamentary Service Amendment Bill proposes a permanent meaning of the term “funding entitlements for parliamentary purposes” that explicitly excludes funding for electioneering. The extended definition of “electioneering” clarifies that during the regulated period Parliamentary Service funding cannot be used for an election advertisement or for referendum advertising in a Government-initiated referendum. To align with proposals in the Electoral (Finance Reform and Advance Voting) Amendment Bill the committee recommended adding a definition of “publish”. The committee recognised that the commencement of the regulated period affects whether an advertisement can be funded so it recommended amendments to the apportionment provision for election advertisements and referendum advertising. The committee also recommended provision for the recovery of payments made by the Parliamentary Service which it later decided to be outside of the entitlements that can be claimed. 
The committee’s recommendations for Parliamentary Service funding provide clear guidance for members of Parliament and ensure that Parliamentary Service funding is not used for electioneering. These bills are the product of a long incremental and deliberate process of consultation with the public and political parties. I reiterate something I said at the beginning of this process many many months ago—that only through agreement from a broad cross-section of the political spectrum can we secure an enduring electoral finance framework. Not everyone will agree with every detail. What is important is the long-term nature of the legislative framework. 
I am grateful to all parties across the House for their willingness to embrace this opportunity and to discuss these matters in good faith. Ultimately these bills will enhance the public’s confidence in the integrity of our elections by balancing fairness with freedom of expression. I commend these bills to the House.