1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: Bungelung Calcottin woman from Gadigl Country. The Daily oz acknowledges 3 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 4 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the 6 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: first peoples of these countries, both past and present. 7 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily Oas. Happy Friday. 8 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 2: It is the third of February. 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 3: I'm Zara, I'm Sam. 10 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 2: Here's a stat to start your Friday morning. 11 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 4: Just ten donors gave seventy seven percent of known political 12 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 4: donations in the lead up to the last election. That's 13 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 4: according to new data from the Australian Electoral Commission. 14 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 2: When we're in the midst of an election. 15 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 4: Like we were last year, we don't actually know who 16 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 4: is bankrolling the big campaign payback, Liberal and laboristry and 17 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 4: dollars of debt with the UAPs fifteen percent. 18 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 5: Iron On explorer. 19 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 3: Colon Gass the biggest causes of a client a crisis, 20 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 3: but the Liberals and Labor want more. 21 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 2: Scott Morrison doesn't hold a hose, but he should have 22 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 2: held a. 23 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 4: Calculator, but this new information goes at least part of 24 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 4: the way to explaining where the money comes from. And 25 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 4: suffice to say, there are lots of interesting takeaways. But 26 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 4: first Sam there was some big news from the RBA yesterday. 27 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,559 Speaker 3: The Reserve Bank announceder will update the five dollar bank 28 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 3: note to feature a new design that quote honors the 29 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 3: culture and history of the first Australians and this will 30 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 3: replace the current portrait of Queen Elizabeth. The RBA said 31 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 3: the new note will take a number of years to 32 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 3: be designed and printed. 33 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 4: Victoria has become the latest jurisdiction in Australia to ban 34 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 4: the artificial intelligence software chat GPT in public schools. A 35 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 4: spokesperson for the Department of Education said it was an 36 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 4: interim measure in line with the software's terms of use, 37 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 4: which specifies users must be. 38 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 2: At least eighteen years old. I didn't know that. And 39 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 2: the good news. 40 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 4: A green comet has passed close to Earth for the 41 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 4: first time in fifty thousand years. That's according to the 42 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 4: Planet Tree Society. Its closest distance was about forty two 43 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 4: million kilometers. It'll be visible from Australia from this Sunday. 44 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 4: The fifth of February, but the best times to see 45 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 4: it will be between the ninth and the eleventh of 46 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 4: this month. However, experts say it may not be visible 47 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 4: to the naked eye, but get your telescopes out. Australian 48 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 4: political parties spent over four hundred million dollars last financial year, 49 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 4: and I think that if you're just an average punter 50 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 4: going about your day, you might see that money manifest 51 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 4: in billboards, in really big ads, in catchy slogans like this, 52 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 4: when Australia needs certainty, it won't be easy under alban easy. 53 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 4: But less is known about how that money actually accumulates 54 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 4: and where it comes from. And the greatest indication that 55 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 4: we get is from the Australian Electoral Commission when they 56 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 4: publish a list of declared donations. 57 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 3: Okay, so let's say I want to donate fifteen thousand 58 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 3: dollars to a political party. How does that actually work? 59 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 4: Well, let me start first by just saying that here 60 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 4: we're talking about the federal political system and we have 61 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 4: three levels of government, all with different rules. So again 62 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 4: we're just talking about the federal level, and more specifically 63 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 4: the last federal election. 64 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 2: But sam to go back to your question. 65 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,239 Speaker 4: If you wanted to donate fifteen thousand dollars, there would 66 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 4: be a very different rule to if you wanted to 67 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 4: donate under fourteen five hundred dollars. So as a general rule, 68 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 4: anybody you sam, I mean, I wouldn't advise it on 69 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 4: a business level, but you do. You anyone, individuals, companies, 70 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 4: We can all donate money to Australian political parties if 71 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 4: we're that way inclined. As I said, though, the threshold 72 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 4: for when you have to disclose it comes in at 73 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 4: a certain point. So if the donation is under fourteen 74 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 4: and a half thousand dollars, then it can be made anonymously, 75 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 4: so you don't actually have to declare who has given 76 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 4: you that donation, but over that amount and the donor 77 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 4: has to be disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commission. And 78 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 4: so that's why we have the information we do on 79 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 4: who is funding political parties and politicians. But again I 80 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 4: must stress before going any further, it is by no 81 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 4: means a full or comprehensive list, because there are ways 82 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 4: to get around having to disclose, and that is coming 83 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 4: in under that threshold of fourteen and a half thousand dollars. 84 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 4: So the data that goes on the Electoral Commission is 85 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 4: then made publicly available. 86 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 2: You know, you can go and look it up and. 87 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 4: See where the money is flowing from the government, the 88 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 4: Labor Party, or to the opposition the coalition. And I 89 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 4: must say, and I'm probably showing my nerdiness here, that 90 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 4: it does make for some pretty interesting reading. 91 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 3: So picking up on that threshold point, does that mean 92 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,359 Speaker 3: that I can donate multiple times of under that threshold? 93 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 4: It does, and that's maybe stop the hypotheticals Sam donating 94 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 4: to major political parties for the sake of our bipartisan 95 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 4: ship here at the Daily Ohs. But yes, so if 96 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 4: you were that way inclined, you could donate fourteen, four 97 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 4: hundred and ninety nine dollars to a party, and you 98 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 4: could do that ten times. You could do that fifteen times. 99 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 4: And those donations are not viewed as one. They're not 100 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 4: viewed holistically. They are viewed as separate donations that each 101 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 4: come under the threshold for reporting, and therefore they won't 102 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 4: be disclosed. I'm not very good at maths, so I've 103 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 4: asked our friend Tom to do the maths, and he 104 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 4: found that despite the register about one third of donations 105 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 4: aren't publicly known, so there are definitely ways to get 106 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 4: around this. 107 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 3: Okay, so I have my head around the threshold that 108 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 3: you need to stay under to not have your name 109 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 3: on this register. For those that go above that threshold, 110 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 3: who are some big names on the register. 111 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,359 Speaker 4: Well, I must say that my favorite part of dealing 112 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 4: with this data when it's released is going through and 113 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 4: understanding who has done to both major political parties, to 114 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 4: both sides of politics. To me, it shows is an 115 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 4: indication of an organization or a high profile individual hedging 116 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 4: their bets, basically having the ear of both the government 117 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 4: and the opposition. 118 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 2: Nobody can know who will win the election, and it. 119 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 4: Is a fairly safe bet that it will be one 120 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 4: of the two major parties, and so there are lots 121 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 4: of people and organizations that actually donate to both. So 122 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 4: both of the major parties received over one hundred million dollars. 123 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 4: So Labor and the Coalition both received large donations from 124 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 4: the big four banks, from the fossil fuel company Santos 125 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 4: and Woodside Energy, casino operator Star Entertainment Group, gambling companies 126 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 4: like sports Bet and tab Corps, Google, and lobbyists from 127 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 4: the mining financial and pharmaceutical industries. So those are some 128 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 4: of the organizations that donated to both. The largest individual 129 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,799 Speaker 4: donor though to both parties, was Anthony Pratt. He owns 130 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 4: the paper company Visy and his investment company Prat Holdings 131 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 4: donated over one million dollars to each party. 132 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 3: That's a serious amount of cash. Why don't we go 133 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 3: now to labor specifically? Who were they relying on for 134 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 3: some cash? 135 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 4: So labor who won government at the last elections were 136 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 4: largely supported by the unions. This is expected and would 137 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 4: routinely happen during election periods. The largest individual UNI donor 138 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 4: was the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union, which gave over 139 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 4: a million dollars to the Labor Party. Labour also received 140 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 4: donations from tech companies like Uber and Netflix. 141 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 3: Okay, and what about the Coalition? 142 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 4: The Hems Trading Group, who runs a bunch of restaurants 143 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 4: here in Sydney and is expanding to Melbourne. They gave 144 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 4: three hundred thousand dollars to the Liberals. A Dani Mining 145 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 4: which plans to create a controversial mine near the Great 146 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 4: Barrier Reef also donated one hundred k to the Liberal 147 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 4: and National Party in Queensland, Smoking and more recently, vaping 148 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 4: company Philip Morris gave fifty thousand dollars to the Nowationals 149 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 4: and also donated to a minor party called the Liberal Democrats. 150 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 3: And what about those minor parties and independents, Well. 151 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 4: The Greens received twenty two million dollars in declared donations, 152 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 4: the largest of which came from that very same union 153 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 4: that was the biggest backup of the Labor Party, and 154 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 4: most of the other donations for the Greens came from individuals. 155 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 4: The tills and how they were funded is something that 156 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 4: we've touched on a bit in past podcasts, but basically 157 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 4: they received funding from the organization called Climate two hundred, 158 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 4: and it was this organization that really linked them together. 159 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: It was kind of the. 160 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 4: Financial vehicle through which the disparate campaigns were funded. So 161 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 4: Climate two hundred received over a million dollars each from 162 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 4: Atlasian co founders Mike cannon Brooks and Scott Farqua and 163 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 4: philanthropist Robert Cadulis. 164 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 3: We're going to take a short break. 165 00:08:50,520 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 5: We'll be right now, Zara. 166 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 3: There's one name you haven't mentioned yet. Tell me a 167 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 3: little bit about Clive Palmer. 168 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 4: I thought you'd never ask so Clive Palmer's United Australia 169 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 4: Party also received over one hundred million dollars, but it 170 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 4: didn't come from as many groups or organizations or people 171 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 4: as the major parties did. Almost all of it came 172 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 4: from Clive Palmer's very own company, Mineralogy, that included one 173 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 4: donation of fifty million dollars and another of thirty million dollars, 174 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 4: the largest two political donations ever recorded in Australian history. 175 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 2: I will just leave it. 176 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 4: On this note that Clive Palmers United Australia Party won 177 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 4: one seat at the last election. 178 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 3: Seems like a very expensive seat now Zara. Over the 179 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 3: course of this conversation, a couple of issues have come up, 180 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 3: particularly around transparency of these political donations. What have the 181 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 3: recommendations been to reform the system? 182 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 4: So the ideas that have been floated around include lowering 183 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,439 Speaker 4: the donation threshold so that smaller have to be declared 184 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 4: and preventing that donation splitting that we spoke about before, 185 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 4: so that people aren't flying underneath the radar and that 186 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 4: they actually have to declare. There are also other ideas 187 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 4: swimming around about what happens once that money has been 188 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 4: donated and how the political parties can use it. There 189 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 4: have been some efforts to cap the amount that is 190 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 4: spent on political advertising during an election campaign, and. 191 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 3: The government's in the tricky situation because they obviously don't 192 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 3: want to change the laws too much otherwise they won't 193 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 3: get as much money next time. And that's not a 194 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 3: labor government thing. That's for both parties when they're in 195 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 3: power at any point in time. What is the current 196 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 3: government going to do with those ideas that have been floated? 197 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 4: A federal parliamentary inquiry is currently underway and it's looking 198 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 4: into the last federal election and the learnings from that. Specifically, 199 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 4: it's looking at some of those ideas that we've just 200 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 4: discussed to increase transparency, like capping spending and lowering the 201 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 4: disclosure threshold to one thousand dollars. We aren't expecting a 202 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 4: report from that inquiry until September, and the government says 203 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 4: they won't legislate reform before then. But also important to 204 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 4: note that, like with any committee report, the government is 205 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 4: not bound to the recommendations that are handed down and 206 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 4: they can actually legislate as they see fit. 207 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 3: You know, Zari, you and I get approached all the time, 208 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:19,440 Speaker 3: and people say I wish you're a political party so 209 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 3: we could donate so much money to you, and we 210 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 3: just say to them, no, that's not what we need. 211 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, we hear it every day. 212 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 3: We just need you to subscribe and follow to this 213 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 3: podcast so that you can share it with your friends. 214 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 3: That's all we need. 215 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 4: All this chatter about Australian politics has reminded me that 216 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 4: we need to tell you about something very special dropping 217 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 4: on the podcast on Monday morning. It's to sit down 218 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 4: with none other than current Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi. The 219 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 4: first time TVA has interviewed a sitting Prime minister, So 220 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 4: you won't want to miss this one.