Changes to the ACT Legislative Assembly’s laws relating to electoral campaign finance and truth in political advertising are to come into effect next month.
ACT Electoral Commissioner, Damian Cantwell said amendments made to the Electoral Act 1992 by the Electoral Amendment Act 2020, passed by the Assembly on 27 August last year, are to commence on 1 July.
“The amendments include a prohibition on political donations by property developers, their close associates, or a person acting on their behalf to a political entity in the ACT,” Mr Cantwell said.
“The prohibition also extends to the acceptance of such gifts by an ACT political entity,” he said.
Mr Cantwell said a transitional provision banning such gifts had been in place since the end of the ACT election on 18 October, however, the related penalty for a breach of the law would increase from 1 July.
“The amendments also make changes to the timing for the regular reporting of gifts totalling $1,000 or more and introduce a penalty for the dissemination or authorisation of electoral advertising that contains a statement of fact that is inaccurate and misleading to a material extent,” he said.
Further information on the new provisions can be accessed at this PS News link.
