Greens Leader in the Senate, Senator Larissa Waters will introduce the Greens Fairer Grants and Government Contracts Bill to the Senate today, to finally put an end to the influence of political donations on winning government contracts, grant money and environmental approvals.
The Bill would ban political donations for 12 months before and after any contract tender, environmental or development application was made.
Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters
“This obscene merry-go-round of public money for political donors is an ongoing blight on our political system, and it needs to come to an end.
“Money shouldn’t be able to buy government contracts, development approvals, political access or political influence. This is not a controversial idea.
“Yet it’s clear that’s what years of donations has been getting for organisations like PwC and the rest of the Big 4. It’s legalised bribery.
“The Big 4 donated $1.2million in FY21-22. In the financial year that followed, those same companies were awarded government contracts valued at over half a billion dollars.
| FY21-22 donations | FY22-23 contracts | |
| PwC | $659,623 | $188,507,022.05 |
| KPMG | $267,270 | $5,834,245.70 |
| EY | $210,881 | $153,983,428.84 |
| Deloitte | $148,000 | $212,665,768.03 |
“Tamboran Resources donated $200,000 to the major parties in FY21-22, and in the same financial year, received $7.5 million in public grant money to frack for gas in the Beetaloo.
“And of course, who can forget Adani. Over $250,000 donated to the coalition in the same financial year as it received final environmental approval for its Carmichael coal mine, including donating $100,000 in the month after the approval was given.
“Is it any wonder that recent polling confirmed 74% of Australians, including 80% of Coalition voters and 70% of Labor voters, support banning political donations from organisations that receive funding from government contracts.
“Stopping donations effectively buying lucrative government contracts, grants or environmental approvals, would ensure tender processes are made based on merit, and help reinstate public trust in our political system.
“The Greens would still like to cap all political donations at $1,000 per year, but we are proposing this Bill as an urgent measure that should receive multipartisan support. Now we need to see Labor get on board.”
1. https://democracyforsale.net
2. Contracts published between 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023 https://www.tenders.gov.au