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🔱 Senate3 readingsAmendments circulated

Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Donation Reform and Other Measures) 2020

✦ Plain-English Summary

# Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Donation Reform and Other Measures) Bill 2020

## What it does

This bill makes political donations more transparent by lowering the threshold for when donations must be publicly disclosed from $13,800 to $2,500. It also creates new rules about how donations are tracked and reported, establishes a better disclosure system run by the Australian Electoral Commission, and gives authorities stronger powers to monitor and investigate political donations.

## Why it matters

Political donations currently happen largely in the shadows—big money can flow to parties and campaigns without the public knowing who's behind it. Lowering disclosure thresholds means Australians get clearer information about who's funding their politicians, making it harder for hidden influence to shape politics behind closed doors.

## Key details

- **The $2,500 threshold**: Any donation above this amount must now be publicly disclosed (down from $13,800), affecting political parties, campaigners, and associated organisations
- **6-month reporting periods**: Donations will be reported twice yearly (starting January and July each year) rather than less frequently
- **New AEC portal**: A dedicated disclosure system will make donation information easier to find and track
- **When it starts**: The bill can be activated by government proclamation, but must commence within 12 months of receiving Royal Assent at the latest

Official Description

Amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to: extend the definition of reporting entities to include political entities, campaigners, associated entities and third parties; lower the political donation disclosure threshold from $14 000 to $2500; require disclosure by reporting entities and donors when the sum of the gifts and donations provided by the same donor to the same reporting entity is greater than the disclosure threshold; require disclosure by reporting entities within 7 days of a reportable gift being made, and require disclosure within 7 days of any subsequent gifts until the end of the reporting period; require reporting entities to lodge half-yearly returns with details of the nature and source of all reportable donations and other receipts; require reporting entities to hold an electoral expenditure account with an authorised deposit-taking institution, from which all electoral expenditure must be paid; increase the monitoring and investigatory powers of the Australian Electoral Commission; and provide for infringement notices and civil penalty provisions for reporting entities that fail to meet their disclosure obligations.

Committee Referrals

Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee

Full bill PDF →APH page →

Audit History

Introduced

5 Feb 2020

Last updated on APH

10 Apr 2026

Last checked by Crossbench

yesterday

Full text indexed

yesterday

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