1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Good morning everybody, or welcome to the Daily OS. My 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: name is Sam Kozlowski, joined by the co founder Zara saideler. 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: Happy Wednesday. It is the second of February. Lots to 4 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: talk about today with all things political donations on the 5 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: cards for this deep dive. But first we heard from 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: the Prime Minister in quite a lengthy address yesterday. Zara, 7 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: what did he tell us? 8 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 2: Among other things, the PM announced that aged care workers 9 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 2: across the country will receive two bonus payments of up 10 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: to four hundred dollars each. The first payment will go 11 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 2: out this month and the second will be in May. 12 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 2: The payment, however, has been criticized by some, including the 13 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 2: Health Services Union president Gerard Hayes, who said quote this 14 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: is a pre election political strategy rather than a serious 15 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 2: plan to fix chronic underpayment of aged care workers. 16 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: The Reserve Bank of Australia or the RBA, has maintained 17 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: the nation's cash rate atzero point one percent, and that's 18 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: where it's been since November of twenty twenty. In a statement, 19 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: RBA Governor Philip Lowe said the board will not increase 20 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: the cash rate until actual inflation is sustainably within the 21 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: two to three percent target range. There was quite a 22 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: lot of speculation that the Reserve Bank would increase interest 23 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: rates yesterday, so it's a big deal that they left 24 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: him on hold. 25 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 2: Former New South Wales Premier Gladysbury Jiiclian is back in 26 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 2: the news today and that is thanks to a question 27 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 2: that was put to the Prime Minister during his National 28 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 2: Press Club speech yesterday. Journalist Peter van Onsualn asked the 29 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 2: Prime Minister if he knew anything about some text messages 30 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 2: that he had gotten. 31 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: A hold of. 32 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 2: One of them was allegedly the former Premier Gladisbury Jiclian, 33 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 2: describing Morrison as quote a horrible, horrible person. Barry Jicklian 34 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 2: has responded saying she has no recollection of the messages. 35 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: And today's good news. Australia's first curling representatives at a 36 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: Winter Olympics will compete tonight. Just a reminder, curling is 37 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: that sport where it looks like they're brushing with a 38 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: broomstick while a puck travels across the ice. Tarlie Gill 39 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: and Dan Hewitt will compete in the event for Australia tonight. 40 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: They're being compared to the Jamaican Bob sled team you 41 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 1: know from cool runnings, as Australia doesn't actually have a 42 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: dedicated curling facility. Also a note, the official opening ceremony 43 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: of the Winter Olympics is on Friday, but this is 44 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: a pre ceremony. 45 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 2: Event, Sam. Today we are looking into everyone's favorite topic, 46 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 2: political donations, and this comes after the release of new 47 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,119 Speaker 2: data that tells us who is giving money to which 48 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 2: political parties. Like a transparency it just blows me away. 49 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 2: If you are getting all this money, then what is 50 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 2: stopping you from showing people that within seven days to 51 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 2: fourteen days? 52 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: What are you hiding? What are you hiding? That was 53 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: Federal Senator Jackie Lamby talking about a lack of transparency 54 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: in political donations. But Zara, I want to start a 55 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: bit earlier in the piece. When we think of money 56 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: in politics, I think of shady characters, brown paper bags 57 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: in dark alleys. But it's actually legal to give money 58 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: to a political party. 59 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 2: Right sure is anyone in Australia can donate money to 60 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 2: political parties. So that applies to people like me, you 61 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 2: or companies like the Daily Ohs. 62 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: Just for the record, we actually haven't given money to 63 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: any political parties. 64 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 2: Was the first company that came to mind. But no, 65 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 2: there is no limit in Australia to the number of 66 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 2: donations you can make. That puts us out of step 67 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 2: with a few other countries, including Canada, the UK and 68 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 2: New Zealand. We do have rules around disclosure though, so 69 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 2: that is that you have to disclose any donation above 70 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 2: fourteen and a half thousand dollars to the Australian Electoral 71 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 2: Commission and they then go on and publish all the 72 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 2: disclosed donations every year. That's what we found out yesterday. 73 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: It's a juicy time for people who care about this 74 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 2: because you see who is donating what and where. There 75 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 2: are lots of loopholes though in the disclosure rules, so 76 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 2: we only get the see the source of a small 77 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 2: fraction of the donations. It's around ten percent. So to 78 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 2: put that into context, Australian political parties raised over one 79 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 2: hundred and seventy million dollars in the last financial year, 80 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 2: but we can only see where eighteen million dollars of 81 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 2: that came from. It's nowhere near the full picture, but 82 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 2: it does of course give us a glimpse into the 83 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 2: kind of donations that get made. 84 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: So what do the numbers tell us who is fronting 85 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: up that sort of money to our political parties. 86 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 2: It's mostly companies. If we look at the one hundred 87 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 2: biggest donors, eighty eight of them were corporations and only 88 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: twelve were individuals. The biggest donor was Prat Holdings. It 89 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 2: trades as the paper company Busy and Pratt Holdings donated 90 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 2: one point three million dollars to the Liberal Party and 91 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 2: ten thousand dollars to the Labor Party. Some of the 92 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 2: other companies that were alongside Prat Holdings were industry lobbying 93 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 2: bodies like the Pharmacy Guild which represents pharmacy industry, and 94 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 2: the Australian Hotels Association, which which, yes, as the name 95 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 2: would follow, represents the hotel industry. You've also got some 96 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 2: of your consulting firms, so PwC, KPMG. They were also 97 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: near the top of the list. Other notable names some banks, 98 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 2: some mining and energy companies, and some gambling companies. If 99 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 2: we look at that altogether holistically, the top of the 100 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 2: list really is dominated by corporate players, much more so 101 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 2: than any money coming from say you on me or 102 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 2: individual party die hards making their own donations. 103 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: And where did the money go last financial year? Was 104 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:33,919 Speaker 1: it split evenly between the two major parties. 105 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 2: It wasn't evenly distributed between the two major parties, but 106 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 2: it was certainly concentrated among those two major parties. And 107 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 2: don't forget that while there is the Liberal and Labor Party, 108 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 2: there are also a lot of minor parties. So in 109 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 2: this last financial year, the Labor Party got sixty seven 110 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 2: million and the coalition parties got eighty three millions, so 111 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: collectively they accounted for about eighty five percent of the donations, which, 112 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 2: as you can tell, is the vast majority. One reason 113 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 2: is a lot of companies give to both the major parties. 114 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 2: So for example, A and ZED and West Farmers each 115 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 2: gave more than one hundred grand each way. 116 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: Why would they do that. 117 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 2: It's really a matter of hedging your bets. You don't 118 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 2: know who will win the next election, and so it 119 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 2: essentially gets the ear of both the government and the 120 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 2: opposition at any given time. 121 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: Gotcha. 122 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: But it's not just the major parties who received some 123 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 2: of these donations. The single biggest donation on record, guess 124 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 2: who it was, Sam. 125 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: I'm thinking an eccentric Australian mining billionaire. You're thinking is correct. 126 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 2: In twenty eighteen nineteen financial year, Clive Palmer donated eighty 127 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:41,280 Speaker 2: three point six million dollars to his own party. That 128 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 2: was an election year, and you might remember Clive Palmer's 129 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: party bought a whole lot of billboards and YouTube ads 130 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 2: with that money. But Palmer is kind of an exception 131 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,239 Speaker 2: to the rule. The major parties are certainly the major 132 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 2: beneficiaries of these donations. 133 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: It was interesting hearing your reasoning before as to why 134 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: you would give money to both parties, is that the 135 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: main reason why you need to give political donations. 136 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 2: As a big company, every donut will have an individual reason. 137 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 2: But the Gradden Institute actually published research on this very question, 138 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 2: and their work basically suggested that companies use donations to quote, 139 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 2: buy access to politicians. It might pay dividends in particular 140 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 2: when the company has a stake in a policy debate. 141 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 2: So if there's a policy under consideration, say the mining 142 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 2: industry has a stake in, they'd hope that they can 143 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 2: use the goodwill that they've built up through their donations 144 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 2: to help them then lobby for a good outcome. And 145 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 2: if they've donated to both the major parties, that means 146 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 2: that day by Nature will have somebody to speak to 147 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 2: on both sides of the aisle. 148 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: A bit of an insight here into the somewhat murky 149 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: waters of money in politics. With an election on the horizon, 150 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure those donations will start ramping up. And it's 151 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: interesting to note that it's not really the donations from 152 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: small individuals that makes a big difference, it's the large corporations. 153 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: Thanks Zarah, definitely one to keep an eye on there. 154 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: That's all we've got time for on today's episode of 155 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: The Daily Ozz. But as always, if you could leave 156 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: us a review or a rating on Spotify or Apple, 157 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: it makes a massive difference to independent publishers. 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