Sigh:
The government has failed to come to an agreement with Labor and the Greens over how to ban foreign donations in a parliamentary report due today.
Parliament’s joint standing committee on electoral matters is expected to report on changes to foreign donations, after its release was delayed last week.
Labor is understood to oppose the ban extending to civil society groups and charities, which Liberal committee members are said to be pushing for. They believe such a move would restrict the participation of such groups in civil debate.
Australia is one of the few advanced Western democracies to allow foreign political donations; they are banned in Britain, the US and Canada.
Let’s face it, this is now a fight over GetUp instead of national interest policy to contain Chinese influence. These dills would sell their mothers for a few bob.
