Developer donations bill reintroduced to parliament
The Queensland Government has re-introduced legislation to ban donations from property developers to state and local government candidates.
After previous legislation lapsed with the dissolution of the last parliament, the Government has reintroduced its Bill as the Local Government Electoral (Implementing Stage 1 of Belcarra) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018.
Reforms contained within the Bill are expected to be applied retrospectively from 12 October 2017, when the first Bill was introduced.
The move is in response to the release of the Crime and Corruption Commission’s report on Operation Belcarra, which investigated integrity and corruption risk in local government. Amongst the report’s 31 recommendations was a ban on developer donations to local government candidates based on ‘perception concerns’.
The Bill has been opposed by the Property Council on the basis that it singles out the property sector for inequitable treatment under electoral laws, and unduly brands Queensland’s biggest non-government employer as a corruption risk. The Property Council has stressed the importance of equality before the law, regardless of occupation or industry.
The Property Council has been active in the public debate around this issue, calling for a broader review of electoral probity and highlighting the limited scope of the Belcarra investigation.
Significant flaws and ambiguity with the Bill’s definition of a ‘property developer’ have been communicated by the Property Council, with the proposed definition capturing a significant number of individuals and entities who should not be regarded as developers. This definition precludes the spouses of directors or officers of a development entity from donating as well as consulting professionals associated with the planning approval process.
The Property Council will continue to advocate on behalf of the industry on this issue and will be actively engaged in the committee consultation process.
Public submissions will be able to be made to the Economics and Governance Committee’s investigation of the Bill.