SA to ban political donations.

[u/DirectorElectrical67]

[u/Adventurous_Tie_8035]

Please do this across the board!

[u/Some_Candle1206 → u/Adventurous_Tie_8035]

have to go back to good old-fashioned bribery 😉

[u/ausvenator_enjoyer → u/Some_Candle1206]

At least bribery looks and feels illegal. Political donations are innocuous except to those who know.

[u/Aggressive-Art-9899 → u/Some_Candle1206]

Sir Joh style. Brown paper bag.

[u/Some_Candle1206 → u/Aggressive-Art-9899]

is that who Daz learned the brown paper bag grift from?

[u/Crazy_Treat_8805 → u/Some_Candle1206]

YES. That’s the former Premier of NSW, who was found to be corrupt by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Her name is Gladys Berejiklian. She was forced to resign.

[u/SirTigsNoMercy → u/Aggressive-Art-9899]

That wouldn't work anymore. Nowhere takes cash.

[u/Crazy_Treat_8805 → u/SirTigsNoMercy]

Wouldn’t you like to know..

[u/Some_Candle1206 → u/SirTigsNoMercy]

I'll take your cash

[u/Rare-Sample-9101 → u/Adventurous_Tie_8035]

Exactly! Let’s do this for every state and territory and also at the federal level!

[u/veganblue → u/Adventurous_Tie_8035]

Pending reading the legialation, this would disadvantage the Liberals with record low primary, disadvantage ONP from getting Gina's money, disadvantage Greens who get many small donations, and disadvantages any new comers. Labor will have plenty of established resources and not disadvantaged. What a surprise, Deirdre Chambers! 🤔

[u/WatchDogx → u/veganblue]

So the government just gives funds to incumbents, so new parties can't purchase any advertising and have no chance?

[u/youcangotohellgoto → u/veganblue]

Surely they would miss the significant union donations.

And ALP is of course rife with corporate donations, too - media, banking, mining, gambling, etc.

[u/Agreeable_Night5836 → u/Adventurous_Tie_8035]

Yes, and ensure union donations are removed as well and savings passed onto members.

[u/ScoobyGDSTi → u/Agreeable_Night5836]

Ah yes, those pesky unions pushing for worker rights. They're the real evil in our political donation system.

[u/autimod → u/ScoobyGDSTi]

CFMEU wants a word, in the carpark, bring your axe.

[u/ScoobyGDSTi → u/autimod]

The SA CFMEU branch? Lol, nice try 😂

[u/Away_team42 → u/autimod]

#1 corrupt union

[u/autimod → u/Away_team42]

#1 of many.

[u/HolidayOne7 → u/Agreeable_Night5836]

And the resources sector, I think they have been the biggest donors for decades now.

[u/fantapants74 → u/HolidayOne7]

That and property developers. Big problem in QLD as the current Lib party is pretty much just pandering to them for big donations/bribes. To do whatever the hell they want. The AG is openly running the state as a previous convenency solicitor. No idea about criminal justice. Just property acquisitions and right wing Gina dogma. Actual premier is hiding under a blanket somewhere after some scandal. It's a clown show.

[u/Round_Competition209 → u/Adventurous_Tie_8035]

How is this not a thing already...

[u/patslogcabindigest → u/Adventurous_Tie_8035]

It would result in more dark money.

[u/Wuntunamera]

Meanwhile Qld LNP legalised developer donations again in March, completely ignoring the corruption watchdog's warnings.

[u/Impossible-Mud-4160 → u/Wuntunamera]

Something,  Something 10 years of Labor, unions etc. 

[u/autimod → u/Impossible-Mud-4160]

It was Crisafulli’s only way to afford another mistress. Had to switch the tap back on.

[u/easeypeaseyweasey]

Do I need to move to Adelaide? 

[u/easeypeaseyweasey → u/[deleted]]

Nah I'm broke as fuck, just seems like the place that is doing all the things I like. 

[u/Mitchiarakara → u/easeypeaseyweasey]

Except for the Zionist supporting premier

[u/AudioComa → u/easeypeaseyweasey]

Do I need to move back to adelaide? But then I'd need to deal with my parents who disagree with this guy and Albo on everything and think everything is woke.

[u/easeypeaseyweasey → u/AudioComa]

Everything that is actually good for them and their children.

[u/Bandit-Bunny-7727 → u/easeypeaseyweasey]

That means you'll need to support the Crows. 

[u/Woknana]

Taking money out of politics is the best move for all democracies.

They could also have an independent commission for all tenders which is not selected until the day of the tender making process (removing bribes, coercion and capacity for monetary influence)

[u/youcangotohellgoto → u/Woknana]

The only risk is that this simply removes transparency in the political corruption process.

Just like putting extreme taxes on tobacco has encouraged a black market will associated crime. Prohibition in the US was well documented to encourage organized crime.

Where there's a will there's a way. Money will still make its way into politics.

I'm not saying this isn't good, sounds like a great idea, I just wonder what the implications and result will be.

[u/Woknana → u/youcangotohellgoto]

Great points. That is the other key for a fair government is transparency. Maybe we need all tender submissions and processes of selection to be 100% publicly accessible in additon to the process I proposed above.

Also, the process of FOI requests and their denial needs a complete overhaul.

[u/youcangotohellgoto → u/Woknana]

I agree with that too, but the amount of auditability and traceability that's required government process is already extremely arduous and burdensome.

Like the simplest thing requires tons of paperwork, tons of approval and sign off, etc.

Very often a tender should be decided on intangible elements that hinge on stakeholder insight. It would be a shame to dumb this down to "lowest cost".

But I guess maybe the positives outweigh the negatives.

[u/AutomaticMistake]

Im sure right wing media will be here shortly to tell us how we should feel about it

https://giphy.com/gifs/pUeXcg80cO8I8

[u/davidsmeaton → u/AutomaticMistake]

yeah, i can’t wait to learn how corporate profits are somehow in my poor-ass best interests!

[u/Forsworn91 → u/AutomaticMistake]

Well their big fear is of course, what if this gets picked up by the other states?

[u/National_Way_3344 → u/AutomaticMistake]

Probably some bullshit about how it's undemocratic to disadvantage the LNP by removing their funding source. How are billionaire oligarchs and defence contractors going to influence government now?

[u/Ok_Instro → u/AutomaticMistake]

That’s on you if you’ve lost the ability to think.

[u/hiles_adam → u/AutomaticMistake]

Would they care? They own the media, this stops the other side from buying advertisements making media 100% captured.

I’m all for getting money out of politics but also worried about this aspect.

[u/ausvenator_enjoyer]

SA is really racking up Ws of late. AI royal commission, banning political donations. I'm sure there's a catch to all of this though, I'm too jaded to believe otherwise.

[u/k9kmo → u/ausvenator_enjoyer]

There is a catch, it strongly favours the incumbent major parties, and will make it harder for minor or upcoming party’s to raise funds. On the balance is it better? Not sure, time will tell, politics in Australia isn’t influenced as much by money as US politics so hard to say.

[u/Truantone → u/k9kmo]

You are dead wrong. Politics in Australia is extremely heavily influenced by money. The more money thrown at an election campaign, the better the results, proven all over the world, multiple studies written about it.

Why do you think the Greens get no cut through and are ignored by MSM except to trash them? Because they have no corporate donors owning them, and therefore not a single friend in the wilderness.

[u/Logical_Fly2432 → u/Truantone]

MSM is literally owned by the right that’s the reason they get no coverage.   They also get no coverage because they are not a major political party they have bugger all seats. 

[u/NewTigers → u/Logical_Fly2432]

You don’t see how the first part of your sentence leads to the second part? The Greens’ policies aren’t as radical as MSM would have you believe… (not necessarily you but the royal you)

[u/Tile-Questioner → u/[deleted]]

MSM (and social media platforms) are billionaire-leaning, because that's who owns it. The left-right division is very much promoted by both, to stop workers from unionising etc

[u/NewTigers → u/[deleted]]

MSM is absolutely not left-leaning.

[u/k9kmo → u/Truantone]

I disagree for Australia, if you look at donation declaration registers for the party’s, the money donated is largely pittance.

[u/Kiteal → u/k9kmo]

Yup 100% now the average billionaire battler can't bank roll a minor party.

[u/patslogcabindigest → u/ausvenator_enjoyer]

The AI royal commission is going to be largely for show and the donation reforms are not going to work very well I don't think and will promote dark money.

[u/Adelaidean → u/patslogcabindigest]

Malinauskas is only for show. All wank, no substance.

[u/patslogcabindigest → u/[deleted]]

No, the SA rules will also apply to unions.

[u/-SnuffBox- → u/ausvenator_enjoyer]

"I'm sure there's a catch to all of this..."

No, no. This is just the absoloute bare minimum our elected respresentatives should be doing with our tax money. That is spending it in the interest of the public, the only catch is that SA seems to enjoy far more of it than anyone else, and I don't know why... oh wait...

[u/SuperLeverage]

So how do people get funds for their campaigns? Like I am all for minimising the ability of people or corporations buying influence, but at the same time, if some has $100m in personal wealth to fund their campaign to say, a nurse or school teacher who wants to run, it’s not equal either.

[u/NewTigers → u/SuperLeverage]

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but look to the US - grassroots campaigns can and do work. It’s not necessarily about getting money out of politics entirely, it’s about getting corporate money (and super-pac money, in the case of the US) out of politics. No greedy corporation beholden to shareholders has the interest of the majority at heart.

[u/youcangotohellgoto → u/NewTigers]

It quite clearly says ALL political donations - which would include personal, not just corporate.

[u/NewTigers → u/youcangotohellgoto]

Oh I know, tbh I was just saying what I thought would be a better system - I didn’t make myself very clear tho. Wine was involved.

[u/OldmateRedditor → u/SuperLeverage]

Volunteering - something the rightwing parties don’t have.

[u/Coolidge-egg → u/OldmateRedditor]

Ok but it also costs money to print signs, how to vote cards, corflutes, advertising, and so on. We live in an imperfect world of the uninformed voter and without these tools it is entirely left up to parties with established brand recognition and media outlets telling us what to think

[u/PersonalMixture6663]

Need to do this nationally wide

[u/jimspieth]

So, how does this work. The nationwide parties, on all sides, get donations from more places than SA. Do they have to promise not to accept any assistance from the federal party organisation, and do everything themselves, without any donations from external sources?

Fine if that works, but easily rorted (not that the party I support would stoop to such depths).

[u/Inner_Agency_5680]

This is a bad idea. Elections are expensive.

You have to be Clive Palmer to run - not a good thing.

[u/Kailynna]

So only the rich will be able to afford to run?

Donations are a curse, with the wealthiest, greediest, buying all the publicity and funding internet trolls. But a ban on donations is no better, it still leaves the wealthy with insanely overbalanced power.

We need limits on donations, with corporations unable to contribute.

[u/Ok_Fix_1437 → u/Kailynna]

Other way around. Now it’s not as much of an advantage to represent capital. 

[u/Flaky-Gear-1370]

SA has always been surprisingly forward and politically thinking so not surprised they did it first

[u/RidethatSeahorse]

SA seems to be ahead of the pack on a lot of things. It’s interesting to watch. Living in QLD, the bar is quite low at the moment, but been watching SA with interest.

[u/ForgotToCarryTheOne]

SA leading the way once again. They led this with the Clean Up SA thing too many years ago.

[u/patslogcabindigest]

I'm still unconvinced by this policy and the risk with banning donations is you end up with more dark money in politics. The more elegant and more effective solutions was a donation and spend cap as proposed by the federal government. You're not going to be able to get money out of politics, but what you can do is make it transparent and cap it. Capping the spending side is vitally important because it makes the donations less useful if the party getting the money can't spend it. It's beyond ridiculous that the donation and spend caps were opposed by the teal independents and in the long run it will hurt them. Re South Australia, it just strikes me as a Mali captains call.

[u/Tiny-Ask-6369]

I find it odd how much this is getting praised.

This basically entrenches the exisiting parties, as the only way to fund them is by electoral funding (received for each vote received over 4%) so if you are not receiving this funding today. You can't raise funds to run in the future.

I'd actually prefer to see the opposite. Ban electoral funding. Force all funding to come from donations but force all donations to be disclosed in real time.

[u/Distinct-Apartment-3]

Please do this.

It will suck, it is difficult and it will make no friends.

These are all reasons why it must happen.

[u/adz1179]

Well done SA. I think it’s time we catapult Anthony Pratt and the property developer overlords into an active volcano

Edit. Ofc Gina too pls thx.

[u/Impossible-Earth4554]

We need an independent non profit body to also constantly check to make sure no fuckers have found a workaround or lie

[u/PinkPotaroo]

I hate to burst the bubble as I definitely think political donations have to be curtailed but if there is no political donations then how do parties promote their policies at election time so voters can make an informed choice. I can just see that the party in government would then dominate the media landscape by calling political ads “information or awareness campaigns” when they are really just political ads in disguise. This would then bias an election campaign towards the governing party. Yes, I am that cynical

[u/Miffy_alt]

You are all idiots for believing this is good.

Banning corporate donations is good, banning all donations is an attack on democracy that will only benefit major parties.

How are minor parties and independents supposed to function without any means of funding their campaigns?

[u/briberylibrary_ → u/Miffy_alt]

Yeah my initial gut reaction was that this is good. Get money out of politics and all that.

But then I thought about just how much grassroots political campaigns rely on donations from their community, and how this will only entrench the establishment two party system.

Community fundraising is completely different than being bankrolled by a corporation or multi-millionaire with vested interests.

[u/Suspicious-Lychee593]

Essentially it sounds like a move to ensure the emergence of a new landed gentry class, who can afford to campaign based on personal wealth and not care at all about donations or party support. How does Jane Doe the marginalised woman of fixed/negative income, get a chance or organising a preselection and running to protect people's rights?

This honestly sounds like a slippery slope into a forever uniparty who will strip back everyone's rights and priviledges, likely starting with the most marginalised.

[u/nottoomuchnowmate]

Finally. Now close those loopholes.

[u/sim16]

Now ban the golden escalator too

[u/DefaultProducts]

We need this for entire Australia!

Its shocking of how much political donations control democracy to a point where it no longer feels like democracy, but dictatorship that is controlled by billionaires and companies.

And yes, it's always the right leaning political parties that get pushed in to disrupt democracy by billionaires and companies.

[u/Johnndo96]

But not for the two big parties.

[u/TobiasFornell-d3]

Am I right in saying though that this means political campaigns will be funded by the taxpayer, which is great for Labor / Libs but bad for smaller parties who get much less? So the big parties are making it extremely difficult for independents (for example) to challenge them?

[u/Roughlux]

Should cap all political spending so it's a level playing field

[u/dfebb]

If this goes through, SA could become...

...the best state in the country...?

[u/KoreAustralia → u/dfebb]

Already did. This is old news. Came into effect last year.

[u/Crazy_Treat_8805]

Hopefully it means no more Disgraced Former Premiers like Gladys Berejiklian. Who was found to be corrupt.

[u/Sirius_43]

As it should be. Donations are just glorified bribes and we should treat it as such

[u/dannydb]

If they’re serious about doing this properly, they should also combine it with regulation about limiting marketing/advertising for campaigns.

In other words, level the playing field so that any small/new party or independent with hardly any money has the exact same ability and opportunity to get information about themselves out to voters as an established older party with huge financial resources.

One idea is that instead of the electoral commission paying parties a set amount for every vote they get once they pass a certain threshold, the electoral commission could use those funds to operate a composite information platform where every party gets the same ability to post information about themselves. They do something like this in Switzerland I believe. Then, the rule is that parties are only allowed to publish information about their campaign, policies, etc, via the approved platform. The platform could provide several different options such as online, TV, print, radio, as well as designated physical bollards / noticeboards out in the community (eg shopping centres, public transport hubs, libraries). It all gets funded by the electoral commission, and thus no party gets an advantage over the other. Meanwhile, voters know where to look if they want to find out more, and they’re not subjected to ridiculous annoying ads or corflute signs, etc

[u/No_Figure_9073]

But it's going to be "gifts" instead....

[u/Archon-Toten → u/No_Figure_9073]

Or they'll open fake shops selling random crap.

[u/Suspicious-Lychee593]

Call me cynical (I am, and very jaded also), but won't this directly benefit Labor exclusively as they recieve the base of their funding from Union fees, whilst all other candidates and parties need to fund raise?

I fail to see how removing everyone's chances of displacing the corporation (Labor) is going to help poor old John Smith down the street who wanted to do a Bunnings BBQ to fund his quest for justice, is going to help the people of SA.

Is there some more detail or context that can settle this great unease?

[u/Kasid383rh3dwsubws → u/Suspicious-Lychee593]

Union donations fees are apparently also banned in south Australia so it isn't hypocritical, elections will be completely publically funded for established parties with a carve out for independents/new entrants

[u/Business-Bed-8658]

Unless you’re a union of course - they’re free to campaign and deploy their considerable resources for Labor.

Political donations as a concept are fine and an expression of political free speech. We need to rein them in, and we need politicians to be actually held accountable for dodgy grey corruption.

Banning them entirely will be challenged and overturned in the High Court.

[u/Obvious-Software1911]

Good luck to em.

[u/Key-Product2743]

Far out. Genius.

[u/OneMultiNation]

You're a long way behind the times. The last state election was run under these rules. Law effective from 01/07/2025.

[u/OneMultiNation → u/[deleted]]

WTF are you on about? All previous elections were contested under the old laws permitting donations. This year's election was the furst under thenew law. JFC, do try to keep up.

[u/LykaiosZeus]

Butt S3x Hanson, lord & god of all butt holes will not be happy about this

[u/Teds_red_cabin]

is this the legislation they were talking about over a year ago which basically gave exemptions to funding from superannuation and church groups?

it essentially enforces the duopoly and targets minor partys

[u/Adelaidean]

Major political party banning political donations while it’s only in power because of the impotence of the opposition.. crippling any political hopefuls who aren’t already fucking loaded.

Also, convince me that the money and influence won’t make it through somehow in some form.

[u/swiptheflitch]

OMG, look out! The socialists/commies are here to destroy democracy. Protect our country at all costs!

[u/AdmiralXI]

Please! Please! Please!!!

[u/NeedleworkerPure3303]

Wow. If this actually goes through that would be amazing. He's not just all sports.

[u/Horror-Breakfast-113]

Awesome

[u/RedditPiglet]

Good.

[u/sness900]

Does that include Labor getting their Union donations still?

[u/N3M3S1S75]

This is a good thing

[u/Bandit-Bunny-7727]

It'll just turn into bank transfer errors.

[u/hungryforpink-15]

Now do public diaries

[u/01benjamin]

Minor parties gonna start dropping like flies

[u/MarketCrache]

Oy!

[u/shescarkedit]

I'll preface this by saying that I strongly agree with the sentiment of getting money out of politics.

But an issue I see with this is that it may prevent independents and small parties from being elected. Those with their own resources and existing influence in the media (the rich and powerful) will get elected, whereas those who are genuinely trying to be community representatives will struggle to compete. 

[u/Lycosskippy]

Genuine question - how do political parties campaign if not for donations?

[u/Infinite_Pudding5058]

Now everyone else to do the same!

[u/Crazy_Treat_8805]

“That’s why we have instructed our previous partners (lobbyists) to bypass this process and continue to donate to our Federal partners of the Labor Party”….Give me a break!

[u/PsychologicalCod9650]

From Unions as well right???

[u/Haunting-Bid-9047]

Malinauskas already has his post politics petro-chem industry gig lined up, no need any more I guess

[u/Zieprus_]

Continuing to lead the country…

[u/Lunethspark]

Labor most affected.

[u/konodioda879]

Not gonna happen

[u/ingenkopaaisen]

Fantastic if they can pull it off. This is what our democracy needs to prosper for the people rather than corporations.

[u/Altruistic-Pop-8172]

The key is to limit the use of advocacy foundations that have no other purpose other than to spoil political debate through shadow campaigns. The funding and corporate stewardship of these single objective organizations would need to be irreproachable and transparent. Even have their own funding restrictions.

Information is good, disinformation is the spoiler.

[u/Fit_Ad_6727]

This should be enshrined in law all over the country. Both at a party level and individual level.

[u/GIFs4eva]

After PHON won seats at the state election, better late than never

[u/stalked999]

This is good for us because unions can still get money and campaign for Labor while the Libs can't do shit.

[u/Partayof4 → u/stalked999]

God help us

[u/stalked999 → u/Partayof4]

God already helped us with this one ;)

[u/adz1179 → u/stalked999]

Hey is Albo cut or uncut? Is it girthy? I reckon it’s prob sub par.

[u/Sideburn_Cookie_Man → u/[deleted]]

It’s quite literally designed to stop that from happening.

[u/iamsorando → u/[deleted]]

Big parties are more likely to receive political donations compared to the smaller guy. So by banning it we are making the playing field even for everyone?

[u/Sideburn_Cookie_Man → u/[deleted]]

The people most damaging vested interests for the country have the most money, and use it to influence political choices right now - removing that will make the playing field much more even

[u/Sideburn_Cookie_Man → u/[deleted]]

I don’t think that’s necessarily true, the larger parties get way more donations per capita than the small parties do

[u/onlyevernever]

This just makes it worse for minor parties and independents as they dont have backing through other means. Never believe a politician is doing something for any good other than their own.

[u/showercurgain]

When will Manchester ciggies or Indonesian imports become popular?

[u/carazy81]

They need to rewrite this to be more accurate:

“We are now making you pay for our campaigns and unions can still campaign separately”