Electoral Legislation Amendment (Restoring Trust) 2023

# Electoral Legislation Amendment (Restoring Trust) Bill 2023 ## What it does This bill makes five major changes to Australia's election rules: it requires political donations to be reported when they hit $1,000 (down from the current threshold), introduces real-time disclosure of donations, sets rules for truth in political advertising, stops the government from running ads right before elections, and tightens rules around campaign spending and data use. ## Why it matters Right now, people don't know who's funding political campaigns until months after donations arrive. These changes mean you'd find out about big donations much faster, and there'd be clearer rules about what claims politicians and campaigns can make in ads. It's designed to reduce the chance that hidden money influences elections. ## Key details - **Donation reporting kicks in at $1,000**: Currently donations only need reporting at higher thresholds. Under this bill, any single donation of $1,000 or more must be disclosed — giving voters clearer sight of who's funding campaigns. - **Timing**: Most changes start on 1 July after the bill passes Parliament. The advertising rules (Part 3) kick in 28 days after the bill receives Royal Assent, so they could apply sooner. - **Who's affected**: Political parties, candidates, campaign groups, and major donors. The bill also introduces new rules around postal voting, campaign data handling, and how independent campaign entities can operate.