The Greens have repeated their calls for root and branch reform of Australia’s political donations and election spending regime with billionaire Clive Palmer shamelessly bragging about his plans to spend his way to electoral success.

Political donations data published today by the Australian Electoral Commission shows that the Liberals, Nationals and Labor raked in a combined $14.6 million in donations in the 2020-21 financial year, including more than $1 million from the fossil fuel sector alone.

The Greens will stop big polluters corrupting democracy by banning donations from the fossil fuel sector to political parties, candidates, and associated entities.

Since 2012, the fossil fuel sector has donated over $9 million to the major parties. It’s no coincidence that successive governments have refused to take strong action on climate, while letting coal and gas corporations pollute our air and water, destroy farmland and culturally significant sites, and release billions of tons of carbon emissions. 

Forensic research by the ABC has shed new light on just how important a ban on political donations from the gambiling industry is. The ABC’s Hitting the Jackpot investigation revealed that over $81million has been given since 1999 to Liberals, Labor, Nationals and minor parties. 

With gambling industry profits completely at the mercy of government regulation, the Greens say it’s clear that the gambling industry is buying influence and favour, and the Liberal, Labor and National parties are happy to comply. 

The Greens say the Prime Minister should dump Christian Porter from his Ministry, and that the so-called "investigation" into whether the secret donation is a breach of Ministerial Standards is yet another delaying tactic from a government allergic to transparency and accountability.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
 
"It’s patently obvious that Christian Porter has breached the PM's own Ministerial Standards, and punting it to Gaetjens is clearly a delaying tactic, given his form.

The Greens say Christian Porter’s refusal to reveal who partially funded his defamation case against the ABC is the latest chapter in a sorry saga of blame-shifting and responsibility-dodging by the Morrison Government.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:
 
“This is a farce. Christian Porter’s so-called ‘disclosure’ of who paid his legal fees makes a mockery of the register of interests and donations disclosure laws, and is just another instalment in a sorry chapter for parliamentary standards.

The government must release documents relating to the awarding of a $21 million grant to Liberal Party-aligned fracking company Empire Energy, after the Senate this afternoon supported a Greens’ motion.

The order compels the government to produce by 9.30 am on Thursday, 12 August, all correspondence, lists of applicants and grant guidelines related to its Beetaloo Basin grant scheme, in addition to details of any meetings between Ministers Angus Taylor or Keith Pitt and Empire Energy.

The Greens say today’s awarding of $21 million of public money to a private corporation to frack the Northern Territory will turbocharge climate collapse, threatens groundwater and goes against the wishes of Traditional Owners.

The money, taken from the $50 million Beetaloo Basin slush fund created by the Coalition and supported by Labor, will be given to Imperial Oil and Gas to drill three new gas wells.

The Greens condemn Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton for using his ministerial powers to slash millions in grant funding for community projects recommended by his department, in favour of his own handpicked list in electorally beneficial locations.

Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson for democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said:

“Another day, another pork barrelling scandal.

"Ministers picking their own pet projects against departmental recommendations to secure electoral outcomes has become commonplace under the Morrison Government.

The Greens welcome Labor’s calls to limit political donations, and look forward to their support for the Greens bill to cap all donations at $1,000 a year when it is debated on 15 February.
 
Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson for democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said:
 
“The Greens have fought for years to clean up our democracy and put a cap on donations of $1,000 a year no matter who you are: big corporation, union, or individual. We’re glad that, after years of opposing Greens moves to cap donations, Labor has decided to change their tune.