The Greens are today launching their policy to clean up politics and end the corrupting influence of big money on our democracy, so we can create a future for all of us.

Ahead of the Australian Electoral Commission 17/18 donations data release later this morning, Greens spokesperson for democracy Larissa Waters said:

The NSW ICAC raid of ALP’s headquarters in Sydney shows political donations are a main source of corruption, yet the Government’s proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC) wouldn’t even be able to investigate, Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Larissa Waters said.

“The Government has intentionally designed a body that will ensure political parties can’t be investigated for the millions of dollars in corporate donations they take from industries like mining, banking and gambling," Senator Waters said.

The Government has failed to budget for its Clayton’s Commonwealth Integrity Commission in MYEFO, proving the announcement was just smoke and mirrors, Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Larissa Waters said.

Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Larissa Waters said 10 years after the Greens first called for a federal anti-corruption body to oversee parliamentarians and the public service, the Morrison Government has finally got on board – but there’s so many catches.

“The Morrison Government’s proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission is the ICAC you have when you’re not really having an ICAC. It’s the poor cousin of the state ICACs and basically a Clayton’s ICAC,” Senator Waters said.

I rise to speak on the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017. This is a very complicated bill and it has certainly had a very chequered history. It purports to restrict the influence of foreign money over our politics.

The Liberals continue to show contempt for the will of the Australian public when it comes to establishing a national anti-corruption body, Greens spokesperson for democracy, Queensland Senator, Larissa Waters said.

“Trust in public institutions has been trashed thanks to major parties representing their corporate donor mates, not the rest of us. Australians are overwhelmingly in favour of a national anti-corruption body yet the Liberals are blatantly ignoring them,” Senator Waters said.

Commenting on the release of the Government’s second Open Government National Action Plan, and on Labor’s comments about lobbying today, Australian Greens spokesperson on Democracy Senator Larissa Waters said: 

“The Government’s plan to think about having a plan will do nothing about the stranglehold big business has over our democracy.

“Australians feel like their needs and views don't matter, while they see big donors and lobbyists getting outcomes that suit the big end of town.

Big business is now running parliament and the Government is not even pretending to anymore, Greens Senator for Queensland and mining and resources spokesperson, Larissa Waters said.

“The Government has done another special deal for Adani in not making them comply with water laws,” she said.

“Adani has just gotten out of having to comply with water laws for a pipeline that will suck 12.5billion litres out of a river in a region that is crippled by drought.