This paper reviews the current state of play in NSW with respect to the public and private funding of political parties and examines the possibility of instituting bans or caps on political donations and/or campaign expenditure. The paper also builds on the issues considered in the earlier publication, Political Donations Law Update (0) (PDF). Image...

This briefing paper outlines significant developments in the laws relating to political donations in NSW that have occurred since the publication in June 2007 of the Parliamentary Library's briefing paper on Election Finance Law. It has been written in the context of further discussion of reform at the state and federal government levels including the...

This paper considers the constitutional and practical constraints upon reforming electoral campaign funding in Australia. It addresses the banning or capping of political donations, the limiting of campaign expenditure and the expansion of public funding of political parties. In doing so, it draws on the experience of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New...

Sarah Miskin and Greg Baker examine political finance disclosures under the current and proposed thresholds, using the annual returns of the major parties (the Liberal Party, the Nationals and the ALP) for the financial years 1998–99 to 2003–04. Proposed amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Act currently before parliament include measures to raise the thresholds for...

The federal government's proposal to increase the disclosure limit for donations to political parties from $1500 to $5000 is a further blow to transparency and accountability, argues Peter Andren, the independent member for the federal electorate of Calare.