party_pants said:

Cymek said:

Spiny Norman said:

Qld corruption watchdog backs near total ban on political donations

The head of Queensland’s anti-corruption agency has backed a near total ban on political donations, just months after a major relaxation of the state’s election funding.

Crime and Corruption Commission chair Bruce Barbour, appearing at a regular parliamentary hearing, made the comments amid MPs’ partisan questions about risks to the political process.

“I think the South Australian model, where elections are publicly funded and the system does not support donations for the purpose of elections … is something that is very interesting, and certainly worth consideration more broadly than South Australia,” Barbour said on Tuesday.

“I think whether it is unions, whether it is property developers, whether it is any other interest group or individual who has particular interests – paying substantial amounts of money automatically creates a perception that the purpose of those payments is to achieve some sort of access, which is not available to people who do not pay that money, and I think that’s a risk.”

The South Australian Labor government’s ban on electoral donations and gifts to registered political parties, MPs and candidates – passed two years ago and in place for the state’s election in March – also imposes election spending caps but allows limited donations for new candidates.

But some, including The Australia Institute, have criticised the public election funding push for being rushed and unfairly favouring the established major parties.

Link

Surely the purpose of political donations from organised groups is a bribe
I imagine most voters would think this.

I am happy enough for individual voters to make personal donations, based upon their firmly held convictions. Environmentalist, for example, should allowed to donate to the Green Party to get some policy implemented that they both care about.

my rule would be that only individuals enrolled to vote in that jurisdiction should be allowed to make donations. No companies or other incorporated bodies.

This of course rules out trade unions and employer associations, so it has Buckley’s chance of getting implemented.

If unions and business groups, or any organisation were banned from giving money directly to political parties which they then use to find advertising etc, the banned entities would just spend their own money on political ads advocating for candidates and/or parties so it wouldn’t really achieve much.