Introduction of legislation dealing with gifts to political candidates

11/7/96

Gifts to political candidates and parties totalling $1,500 or more will have to be disclosed under legislation contained within the Electoral Legislation Amendment Bill introduced into State Parliament last night.

Parliamentary and Electoral Affairs Minister Norman Moore said he was planning to have the disclosure legislation passed by Parliament in the next session and proclaimed well ahead of the State election due early next year.

"This type of legislation is long overdue and it is important it be in place before the next State election so that we can quickly benefit from the improvements to our electoral process," Mr Moore said.

"Not only do the changes address some COG recommendations but they also fall in line with the successful and thorough Federal disclosure system which was put in place in 1984.

"The Commonwealth disclosure provisions are tough and workable and our changes will effectively close any loopholes that are not covered by the Federal Act.

"The State Government is keen to ensure the integrity of the political donations process and that all candidates are subject to the same set of rules which is not the case currently."

A version of the Electoral Amendment (Political Finance) Act was passed originally in 1992, but never proclaimed by the Government of the day.

Audits by the Western Australian Electoral Commission will complement but not duplicate those already conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission every two years.

Candidates, parties and lobby groups undertaking electoral expenditure will be required to submit a full return of expenditure within 15 weeks of a State election. Currently there is no need for candidates or lobby groups to do this. The return will cover printed material, broadcast media advertising, and opinion polling.

Expenditure on State elections will be disclosed on the same lines as for Federal elections. The public will have access to the copies of all returns. Even where no money is spent, returns will still have to be provided.

Candidates must record gifts made over the 12 months before an election, and 30 days afterwards. No such requirement is currently in place for State candidates.

Political parties must disclose the names of individual donors if the gifts they make to various candidates exceed $1,500 in total. It will be illegal for parties or candidates to receive gifts exceeding $1,500 in total from unidentified donors. These donations can be forfeited to the Crown.

"Previously, candidates could receive large, secret donations - a practice which is unacceptable to the public - so we have taken measures to ensure it does not happen," Mr Moore said.

Political parties will be required to submit an annual return to the Western Australian Electoral Commission by November 30. This return will cover all gifts, including donations in kind, such as rent-free premises.

Mr Moore said the new Bill made several other housekeeping changes to the Electoral Act.

"Voters who make a mistake in the numerical sequence filling in their ballot papers for the Legislative Assembly will not have their votes invalidated; this is the same rule that applies in Federal Parliament," he said.

"The process of fining people who fail to vote has been simplified - electors can now choose to either pay the fine first up or go through an appeal process.

"There will also be an amendment that allows for the computerised counting of Legislative Council ballot papers, which will speed up the process and save money."

Mr Moore said these minor changes were common sense and made for a smoother, more efficient running of the electoral system.

Media contact: Anabel Gomez 321 1444