The epidemic of scandals involving Liberal parliamentarians continues with Liberal MP Gladys Liu linked to a donor at the centre of a money laundering probe by Australian authorities.

Greens co-deputy leader Larissa Waters said, “It’s time to end cash-for-access and get the influence of big money and dodgy donors out of politics.

“Prime Minister Morrison should stop the protection racket for Ms Liu and his embattled Ministers and stop the rot by capping political donations and election spending.

The Greens have condemned the Liberals for trashing democracy and deceiving voters after the party’s acting Victorian director admitted in court today that signs written in Chinese at polling booths on election day were designed to look like official Australian Electoral Commission signage.

The signs were posted at 13 polling stations in Josh Frydenberg's seat of Kooyong and at 29 polling booths in nearby Chisholm, which was won by Liberals candidate Gladys Liu.

Greens MP Michael Berkman and Greens Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters have welcomed Queensland Labor’s announcement today that they will cap political donations and expenditure and increase public funding, but called on them to ban all corporate donations and cash-for-access meetings. 

Greens MP Michael Berkman said: 
“It’s great to see Labor adopting part of the Greens’ plan to get big money out of politics in Queensland, but I’m also calling on them to support my Bill to ban all corporate donations. 

The introduction of the Greens Parliamentary Standards Bill in the Senate today will be a strong test of whether Labor and the Liberals genuinely want to stamp out corruption and restore public trust in democracy.

The bill creates a binding, independently enforced code of conduct for all Federal politicians and staff.

The Australian community’s trust in politicians and government has plummeted to 31 per cent, with less than a quarter of the community expressing trust in Federal Ministers and MPs [1].

The Greens have welcomed the report from the ministerial integrity inquiry that recommends the re-investigation of Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop’s conduct and highlights the weakness of current Ministerial Standards.

Greens Co-Deputy Leader and Democracy spokesperson Larissa Waters said the community was fed up with recent Ministerial conflict-of-interest scandals and the revolving door between Ministers, politicians and lobby groups, including mining and gambling interests.

The Australian Senate has sent a strong message to the Morrison Government that it wants a federal corruption watchdog with teeth, voting 35 to 32 in favour of the Greens Bill today.

Former senior Liberal cabinet members Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne will give evidence today at a Senate inquiry into their compliance with ministerial standards.

Greens Co-deputy Leader Larissa Waters said democracy is under threat when ministers can retire from politics and head straight into the arms of big corporations in industries they once regulated.

“The Liberal leadership has shown more interest in enforcing the ‘bonk ban’ between politicians and their staff rather than stopping our community being screwed over by vested corporate interests,” she said today.

The Queensland Greens today launched their federal campaign with leader Dr Richard Di Natale, co-Deputy Leader and Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters, and lower house candidates in the key election battleground state.

The Greens are today announcing a commitment to bring the voice of the people into politics through trials of Citizens Juries and participatory budgeting, and requiring a parliamentary debate on petitions which receive over 100,000 signatures.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale has welcomed the official start of the election campaign, declaring that the party has never been better equipped to offer a progressive alternative to the old parties. 
 
“We’re ready. On May 18, we’ll give the Australian people a genuine alternative to the old parties, one that offers a positive plan for Australia that will create a better future for all of us,” Sen. Di Natale said.