Queensland set to 'legalise another avenue of corruption' with overhaul of election donation laws.
The Liberal National Party government has tabled new legislation that will overturn the ban on property developer donations in state elections, effectively quadrupling the cap on electoral donations from $12,000 to a staggering $48,000.
Opposition parties have condemned the move as "blatant corruption" and claim it will allow developers to exert undue influence over politicians. The Greens have accused the LNP of "lining their own pockets with developer donations", arguing that this new avenue of corruption will only benefit developers and the party at large, while ordinary people are priced out of affordable housing.
Under the new laws, property developers and other donors will be allowed to contribute up to $19,200 per year to a political party, and up to $28,800 per year to a candidate. This is despite claims from the Attorney General that the increased cap "promotes freedom of expression".
Greens MP Michael Berkman described the move as a "quid pro quo" where developers donate money in exchange for favorable decisions on their behalf, which he said "just stinks". The opposition party's shadow attorney general, Meaghan Scanlon, added that Premier David Crisafulli did not disclose his intention to increase donation caps before the election.
The changes also introduce a new ban on people serving sentences of over a year in prison or detention from voting.
The Liberal National Party government has tabled new legislation that will overturn the ban on property developer donations in state elections, effectively quadrupling the cap on electoral donations from $12,000 to a staggering $48,000.
Opposition parties have condemned the move as "blatant corruption" and claim it will allow developers to exert undue influence over politicians. The Greens have accused the LNP of "lining their own pockets with developer donations", arguing that this new avenue of corruption will only benefit developers and the party at large, while ordinary people are priced out of affordable housing.
Under the new laws, property developers and other donors will be allowed to contribute up to $19,200 per year to a political party, and up to $28,800 per year to a candidate. This is despite claims from the Attorney General that the increased cap "promotes freedom of expression".
Greens MP Michael Berkman described the move as a "quid pro quo" where developers donate money in exchange for favorable decisions on their behalf, which he said "just stinks". The opposition party's shadow attorney general, Meaghan Scanlon, added that Premier David Crisafulli did not disclose his intention to increase donation caps before the election.
The changes also introduce a new ban on people serving sentences of over a year in prison or detention from voting.
. They're basically creating a big opportunity for developers to throw cash at politicians and expect favors in return. It's like they think money talks, right? 
Newsflash: just because you can donate loads of dosh doesn't mean you'll get what you want – it means you've got the resources to push your agenda really hard.
It just seems like another way for the party and its mates in industry to line their pockets.
48k for a single donor? that's like asking someone to buy you a house just for showing up at your campaign event lolol what's next, are they gonna let billionaires fund entire parties? it smells like crony capitalism and I'm not sure how the average joe is supposed to compete with that kinda money...
And the Greens are right, this is all about lining the pockets of politicians who already have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo... where housing prices get out of control and regular people can't afford to even think about buying a home. 
We need stricter laws here, not more loopholes for special interests to exploit 
the lib nat party is essentially handing developers a big ol' key to the city, and we're supposed to be surprised? 
it's like they think we've all forgotten about the whole 'don't take bribes in exchange for favors' thing. and now we get to enjoy the lovely bonus of even more money being funneled into the pockets of a select few, while the rest of us are stuck with rising housing costs 
what's next, tax breaks for billionaires? 
. This new law seems to be another way for developers to have a stranglehold on politicians 
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. I mean, who doesn't love more money flowing into politics? It's like they're trying to fix the whole "special interests" problem by making it easier for them to buy influence. And let's be real, what's a few million bucks between friends, right? The Greens are just being paranoid and uptight as usual 
this is so shady 
. The Greens are right on the money here, this is all about lining the pockets of big donors at the expense of everyday people who can't even afford a roof over their heads 
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. It's all about lining their own pockets and who cares about ordinary people struggling to afford housing 
. It's just so disappointing 
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, what's next? maybe they'll allow companies to donate to politicians directly without disclosing who they are or where the money's coming from 
... like, I get it, we all need funding for our political campaigns, but does it have to be done at the expense of fairness? 
... it just seems like another way for developers to have too much power and influence over our politicians. I mean, $48,000 is a crazy amount of money to donate to a party - what's the point of even having election laws if they're just going to be ignored? And the fact that it's going to benefit the developers and the party at large while regular people are struggling to afford housing is just not right 
and saw the most gorgeous wildflowers blooming everywhere! it was like nature's own art show 
anyway, back to this election thing... 48k is like, insane right? can you imagine if they were allowed to donate that much to a candidate? like, what would you even do with all that cash 
. This move could lead to a situation where politicians are unduly influenced by their donors, ultimately affecting the interests of the general public 
. The fact that the Greens and opposition parties are speaking out against this change suggests that there is a valid concern about the potential for corruption and the disproportionate impact on ordinary people 
. It's also worrying to see politicians like Premier Crisafulli potentially benefiting from these changes without transparency 
. Overall, I think it's essential to prioritize the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that donations don't compromise the democratic system 
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. These changes will just give more power to the people who can afford to game the system, not help average people at all 
...
Overall, I think this move is a step in the wrong direction and will likely benefit developers at the expense of the broader community 
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