Political Donation Reform

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (15:00): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier advise whether the government has banned donations from the CFMEU to political parties?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (15:01): I thank the member for Heysen for his question. We returned the donation from the CFMEU, as I think we did back in 2022, that was made in the lead-up to the state election. I note that the Liberal Party have failed to return donations from various sources that have had a whole range of questions being raised publicly over time.

Nonetheless, the member for Heysen will be well aware that the state government is committed to not just banning donations from any particular organisations, we are committed to banning donations full stop. The Special Minister of State is in the active process of crafting the version of that legislation that will be introduced into parliament in the not too distant future on the back of a substantial amount of public consultation that has occurred recently. I understand there has been an initial briefing to the opposition on the crafting of that legislation, as there has been for other members of the parliament.

The government will be introducing that legislation into the parliament, all being well, this year—hopefully in the not too distant future, because we do believe quite firmly in, and I can say I firmly have been an advocate of, getting donations out of politics full stop. I think that the electorate wants to see politics and politicians not focused on fundraising and those efforts, but rather focusing on thoughtful policy development and advocacy to the community. We are working on a donation ban across the board.