Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has refused to confirm whether he donated a reported A$2 million (US$1.51 million) to his own conservative Liberal Party, just moments after saying that public information should be released “as close to real time as possible.”
Yesterday, donations information from 2015 to last year up to the July election was released by the Australian Electoral Commission.
The disclosures did not show any donation from Turnbull to the Liberal Party, despite reports he had donated close to A$2 million, suggesting the donation was made after July 1.
At his first major speech for this year at the National Press Club, Turnbull was asked about whether he would support reforms to allow people to see donations in a more timely manner.
Turnbull suggested the current disclosure rules were a result of historical administration requirements.
He said he would have no objection to more timely donation reforms and said it was a matter for the joint standing committee on electoral matters, which is examining political donations.
“Obviously in the 21st century, just as with parliamentarians’ expenses, the closer, the more timely any matter of public importance, any public information, that can be disclosed more promptly — or in as close to real time as possible — should be. I’ve got no doubt that’s one of the matters they will be looking at,” he said.
However, when asked whether he would disclose his own donations to the Liberal Party ahead of the February next year disclosure, Turnbull declined.
“My donations to the Liberal Party have been regular and generous and I would encourage others to do the same,” he said.
A Guardian analysis has found that, of the total income received by the Liberal, National, Labor and Greens parties, the origin of a substantial proportion is unknown.
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