Australia's major parties push through political donation reform bill with lower disclosure threshold

Australia's major political parties have introduced a bill aimed at reforming political donations, which has passed the House and is expected to clear the Senate next week. The bill lowers the donation disclosure threshold from $16,900 to $1,000 and requires monthly disclosures. Despite these transparency measures, concerns have been raised about the bill's effectiveness. Critics argue that high donation caps and generous funding for major parties may entrench the existing political duopoly and limit competition from independents and new entrants. The bill will not take effect until 2026, but its rapid passage has sparked debate over the lack of thorough scrutiny and the absence of a parliamentary inquiry. Observers question whether the reforms genuinely address the influence of money in politics or simply reinforce the status quo.