This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Government & democracy
Political donations over a much lower $1,000 threshold would have to be disclosed, and smaller donations from the same source would also count once they add up to that amount.
High donation disclosure thresholds and delayed reporting left smaller, aggregated and non-cash political donations less visible, feeding low public trust in politics. The bill lowers the threshold to $1,000, requires disclosure within two business days, expands what counts as a donation, caps total giving and bans donations from some industries.
Australia’s federal donations rules long allowed high disclosure thresholds and annual reporting delays, so sizable sums, aggregated smaller gifts and gifts-in-kind could stay out of public view for months, and fresh Australian Electoral CommissionThe federal body that receives and publishes donation disclosures and enforces the election funding rules discussed on this page. figures in February 2023 sharpened concern by showing record levels of unidentified money in party revenue. Andrew Wilkie’s bill responded by proposing a $1,000 threshold, two-business-day disclosure, wider gift definitions, donor caps and industry bans, and although it did not pass, later committee recommendations and Labor’s 2024-25 negotiations showed those same transparency and cap measures had moved into the centre of national reform plans.
The main criticism was that low donation and spending caps could lock in the major parties’ advantage and make it harder for independents and teal-style challengers to raise enough money to compete. That concern was raised mainly by teal independents, crossbenchMPs who are not in the main governing or opposition parties, including independents and smaller-party members. figures and later critics of the broader reform push, rather than by MPs speaking against this 2023 bill in the debate provided.
Andrew Wilkie MPA federal lower-house MP, who is one of the people covered by the bill's donation reporting rules. introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from Centre Alliance, some crossbenchMPs who are not in the main governing or opposition parties, including independents and smaller-party members. members.
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
No final passage
The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.
Time before failure
204 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
Political donations over a much lower $1,000 threshold would have to be disclosed, and smaller donations from the same source would also count once they add up to that amount.
Political parties and candidates would have to report donations to the Australian Electoral CommissionThe federal body that receives and publishes donation disclosures and enforces the election funding rules discussed on this page. within two business days once the $1,000 threshold is reached or passed.
Non-cash support worth at least $1,000, including campaign spending for a political entityA party, candidate or similar political organisation that can receive donations and must report them under the bill., gifts-in-kind, and payments to attend fundraisers, would be treated as political donations.
A single donor would be limited to giving a total of $50,000 across an electoral cycleThe period over which a donor's total giving is counted for the proposed $50,000 cap., reducing the size of big-money political donations.
Fossil fuel, gambling, liquor and tobacco businesses would be banned from making political donations.
lowering the donation disclosure threshold from $13,800 (or $15,200 as indexed) to $1,000 for individual donations and requiring aggregation under the threshold. This means that multiple donations received by the same recipient from the same source must be disclosed if the sum of those gifts is equal to or greater than the threshold;Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Cleaning up Political Donations) explanatory memorandum
requiring real-time disclosure by gift recipients to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) within two business days of the donation threshold being reached or exceeded;Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Cleaning up Political Donations) explanatory memorandum
Donations include gifts. This Bill expands the definition of ‘gift’ to include electoral expenditure and gifts-in-kind to a political entity, where the value of the gift is equal to or more than $1,000 and provided without consideration or with inadequate consideration. The Bill also expands the definition to include amounts paid to attend fundraisers or functions;Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Cleaning up Political Donations) explanatory memorandum
introducing a cap of $50,000 on the total amount of donations a donor can provide during an electoral cycle;Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Cleaning up Political Donations) explanatory memorandum
prohibiting political donations from particular industries, including fossil fuel entities, gambling companies, liquor companies and the tobacco industry; andCommonwealth Electoral Amendment (Cleaning up Political Donations) explanatory memorandum
Context
Australia’s federal donations rules long allowed high disclosure thresholds and annual reporting delays, so sizable sums, aggregated smaller gifts and gifts-in-kind could stay out of public view for months, and fresh Australian Electoral CommissionThe federal body that receives and publishes donation disclosures and enforces the election funding rules discussed on this page. figures in February 2023 sharpened concern by showing record levels of unidentified money in party revenue. Andrew Wilkie’s bill responded by proposing a $1,000 threshold, two-business-day disclosure, wider gift definitions, donor caps and industry bans, and although it did not pass, later committee recommendations and Labor’s 2024-25 negotiations showed those same transparency and cap measures had moved into the centre of national reform plans.
AECThe federal body that receives and publishes donation disclosures and enforces the election funding rules discussed on this page. figures highlight record dark money in politics
Hansard records that newly released Australian Electoral CommissionThe federal body that receives and publishes donation disclosures and enforces the election funding rules discussed on this page. figures showed major parties receiving very large donations and said unidentified money had reached a record $119 million, sharpening the case for tighter disclosure laws.
Second reading speech ↗Wilkie reintroduces a bill to clean up political donations
The private member's bill was reintroduced to cut the disclosure thresholdThe dollar amount that triggers a donation reporting obligation; this bill would cut it to $1,000. to $1,000, require near real-time reporting, capture gifts-in-kind and limit the size and source of political donations.
Hansard ↗Parliamentary inquiry backs caps on donations and spending
The Australian Financial Review reported that a Labor-dominated parliamentary inquiry recommended caps on political donations and campaign spending, showing reform ideas similar to Wilkie’s bill were gaining institutional support.
Australian Financial Review ↗Labor pushes its own lower-threshold donation reforms
The Australian Financial Review reported that Labor was seeking a deal on legislation to cut the disclosure thresholdThe dollar amount that triggers a donation reporting obligation; this bill would cut it to $1,000. from $14,500 to $1,000 and introduce speedy disclosure before the next election.
Australian Financial Review ↗Labor and the Coalition reach an in-principle donations deal
The Australian Financial Review reported that the major parties agreed in principle on caps for donations and campaign spending plus faster disclosure rules aimed at limiting the influence of very large political funders.
Australian Financial Review ↗Major-party negotiations move toward a final pre-election overhaul
The Australian Financial Review reported that Labor and the Coalition were close to agreement on a national rewrite of political donations laws, confirming that the reform agenda first pressed in the 2023 bill had become mainstream before the 2025 election.
Australian Financial Review ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
The main criticism was that low donation and spending caps could lock in the major parties’ advantage and make it harder for independents and teal-style challengers to raise enough money to compete. That concern was raised mainly by teal independents, crossbenchMPs who are not in the main governing or opposition parties, including independents and smaller-party members. figures and later critics of the broader reform push, rather than by MPs speaking against this 2023 bill in the debate provided.
No party represented in the debate opposed the bill; criticism was mostly about competitive effects and later design risks.
Could entrench the major parties
Critics argued that tight donation and campaign limits set too low could handicap independents and newer challengers while leaving Labor and the Coalition better placed to rely on their existing party machines, donor networks and public funding.
Could be used to shut out crossbench challengers
Later reporting on the same reform direction said the rules would make it harder for teal candidates, Clive Palmer and other independents to challenge the major parties, raising a fairness concern about electoral competition rather than the goal of transparency itself.
Risk of constitutional challenge over political spending limits
A separate criticism was that donation and spending caps could trigger a High CourtAustralia's top court, which could be asked to decide whether the proposed donation limits are valid. fight if they were seen to go too far in restricting political participation or implied freedom of political communicationA constitutional principle that critics say donation and spending caps could breach if they go too far., even though later drafters tried to reduce that risk.
Votes
No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Wilkie supports the bill and argues it is needed to restore trust by forcing faster, lower-threshold disclosure of political donations and by capping and restricting donations from harmful industries.
Read in Hansard ↗Sharkie strongly supports the bill, saying political donations are the next reform needed after federal ICACThe proposed federal anti-corruption watchdog that supporters link to broader political integrity reforms. and backing faster disclosure of donors.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
2 speakers · 2 support
“The community is demanding political donation reform, and many people were dismayed that the earlier version of this bill was not supported by the government and the opposition. There must not be a repeat of that. This time around, the major parties must put selfinterest aside and support the bill.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise to second the motion moved by the member for Clark and I very much support his private member's bill to clean up political donations, the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Cleaning up Political Donations) Bill 2023. We now have a federal ICAC. Political donations must be the next thing we all do in this place to clean up the perception the Australian community has of us.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Removed from the Notice Paper in accordance with (SO 42)
Removed from the Notice Paper in accordance with (SO 42)
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
