Summary
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.