Electoral reform and banning political donations

Consultation has concluded

We want to hear your views on proposed changes to South Australia's electoral laws as well as banning political donations.

What's being decided?

We are proposing significant reforms to South Australia’s electoral laws, including banning political donations.

This would help to ensure power is kept in the hands of voters and give both established and new voices an equal footing in state elections.

The government has drafted the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Bill 2024 which:

  • prohibits electoral donations to registered political parties and other participants
  • applies a cap on donations made to newly registered political parties, entitled candidates and entitled groups
  • restructures the public funding model
  • increases administrative funding
  • introduces an advance payment scheme
  • amends party registration and nomination requirements
  • inserts new definitions, including the term 'donation'.

We want to hear from all South Australians who are of voting age, including those who may be members of political parties or political organisations.

Background

In 2013, laws regulating political financing in South Australia were passed. Despite these reforms, there is still significant public concern and scepticism around the motivations of political donors, and the influence they have on government decision-making.

Banning political donations is one way to ensure South Australian democracy is not on the market or for sale to the highest bidder.

A lot of work has taken place to understand the legal and constitutional challenges which need to be overcome to develop a policy framework that allows a genuine contest of ideas at state elections without political donations.

We want to hear your feedback on the proposed reforms, in particular the scope of the ban on political donations and the design of the framework to replace political donations.

Get involved

Find out more:

Please note: A revised Explanatory Guide has been published to correct an error on page 17 in respect to the increase in the number of electors required to register a political party (in the case of a party that is not a parliamentary party). The correct amount is 500 not 400 as previously published.

Have your say by:

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will help inform the final version of the Bill that will be introduced to Parliament.

We want to hear your views on proposed changes to South Australia's electoral laws as well as banning political donations.

What's being decided?

We are proposing significant reforms to South Australia’s electoral laws, including banning political donations.

This would help to ensure power is kept in the hands of voters and give both established and new voices an equal footing in state elections.

The government has drafted the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Bill 2024 which:

  • prohibits electoral donations to registered political parties and other participants
  • applies a cap on donations made to newly registered political parties, entitled candidates and entitled groups
  • restructures the public funding model
  • increases administrative funding
  • introduces an advance payment scheme
  • amends party registration and nomination requirements
  • inserts new definitions, including the term 'donation'.

We want to hear from all South Australians who are of voting age, including those who may be members of political parties or political organisations.

Background

In 2013, laws regulating political financing in South Australia were passed. Despite these reforms, there is still significant public concern and scepticism around the motivations of political donors, and the influence they have on government decision-making.

Banning political donations is one way to ensure South Australian democracy is not on the market or for sale to the highest bidder.

A lot of work has taken place to understand the legal and constitutional challenges which need to be overcome to develop a policy framework that allows a genuine contest of ideas at state elections without political donations.

We want to hear your feedback on the proposed reforms, in particular the scope of the ban on political donations and the design of the framework to replace political donations.

Get involved

Find out more:

Please note: A revised Explanatory Guide has been published to correct an error on page 17 in respect to the increase in the number of electors required to register a political party (in the case of a party that is not a parliamentary party). The correct amount is 500 not 400 as previously published.

Have your say by:

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will help inform the final version of the Bill that will be introduced to Parliament.