People are sick of politics. It only works for big corporations and property developers, because over the last decade Labor and the LNP have taken $100 million in donations from corporations.
Corporate donations screw over everyday Queenslanders because they let banks, lobbyists and mining companies set the agenda in their own favour. They pressure governments into giving handouts to mining corporations, property developers and big banks while chronically underfunding public health, education and critical public infrastructure.
The Greens are the only party to refuse donations from corporations, so we only fight for you.
The Greens will:
- Ban donations to political parties from for-profit corporations, like property developers, financial institutions, gambling and fossil fuel corporations.
- Ban ‘cash-for-access’ meetings with Government Ministers and MPs
- Give Queensland's corruption watchdog, the CCC, real power
- Stop politicians from walking out of parliament straight into cushy lobbyist jobs
Ban 'Cash-for-access' Meetings
Access to our government shouldn’t be determined by your ability to pay. Right now big corporations and lobbyists can pay thousands of dollars to get special access to state Labor government ministers and MPs.
In August this year Queensland Labor held a forum in Brisbane, offering businesses $5,000 for access to ministers ahead of the 2020 election. These blatant cash-for-access schemes are still legal, and they're common practice for both Labor and the LNP.
The Greens will properly ban 'cash-for-access' meetings in Queensland.
Jam the revolving door between politics and lobbyists
Queensland politicians only have to wait two years before they can stroll into an over-paid lobbyist job. Ex-Labor and LNP politicians have gone on to lobby for big mining and property developer donations, working to sell out Queenslanders. What's worse "industry associations" like the Minerals Council aren't even covered by the existing weak laws, so politicians can lobby for big mining corporations whenever they want.
The Greens will double the waiting period for politicians to become lobbyists to four years, so they have to wait at least full-term of parliament before they can lobby for big dodgy corporations. And we’ll make sure “industry associations” are captured by the law.
Read more about my work in parliament on banning corporate political donations here.