As the next State election is looming the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is reminding prospective political party donors of their obligations under the law.
Issuing its reminder, the Commission said the penalties for breaching the Electoral Act 2002 included fines, imprisonment and the recovery of donation amounts.
It said prospective donors and recipients must disclose any donations of $1,080 or more to the VEC within 21 days, and that those donations could not be anonymous.
VEC said donations could only be made by Australian citizens, residents or businesses, and a donor could not donate more than $4,320 in the four-year period between elections.
“The VEC is already aware of a donation site running a 24 hour ‘double donation’ campaign,” the Commission said.
“Prior to its launch, the VEC contacted the party running the campaign and sought assurances as to how donors and recipients would comply with donation requirements under the Electoral Act,” it said.
“The VEC will monitor the progress of the campaign and will continue to explore and identify any compliance issues, ensuring all required donations are disclosed.”
The Commission said that additional information about the political donations requirements – such as banned donations, what counts as a donation and specific information for donors and recipients, was available on the VEC website.
The website can be accessed at this PS News link.
