Australian Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Lee Rhiannon has today reaffirmed her party’s support for Senate voting reform and criticised Senator David Leyonhjelm’s self-interested opposition to giving voters greater control of their preferences.

“Reforming the Senate voting system to take power out of the hands of political parties and backroom preference negotiators and give voters control over their vote is a fundamentally important and necessary democratic reform,” Senator Rhiannon said.

The Greens will oppose a push by Liberal and National MPs to introduce changes that would make it harder for some people to vote. 

Coalition members of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters have recommended imposing restrictions on updating the electoral roll and adopting identification requirements on voters in federal elections.

Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon, a member of the Committee, has said:

Commenting on today’s High Court finding that ICAC had no power to investigate Margaret Cunneen, Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

“While this is a setback, the High Court decision should not be used as an excuse by the Coalition and Labor to step away from the fight against corruption,” Senator Rhiannon said.

“ICAC must be allowed to look into the conduct of individuals where it contributes to corruption. 

The latest OECD assessment of anti-bribery measures that reveals weak protection for whistleblowers in Australia strengthens the Greens call for employees in the private sector to have the same protection as those in the public sector, Australian Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Lee Rhiannon said.

“In December last year the Greens called for whistleblower protection to be extended to employees working for private higher education companies in receipt of millions of dollars of government funding,” Senator Rhiannon said.

Commenting on reports that representatives of the University of Wollongong have paid to attend Liberal Party fundraisers, Greens spokesperson for higher education Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

“University of Wollongong’s senior managers should come clean the thousands of dollars that have flowed to the Liberal Party from the university – and several of its university-controlled entities.

The Australian Senate has today passed a Greens motion calling on the Federal Liberal party to return the $15 million of public funds it spent advertising its failed party higher education policy.

“Christopher Pyne might call himself a ‘fixer’, but his efforts to blackmail the Senate have failed – and so have his attempts to brainwash the Australian public.

“The Abbott government set aside nearly $15 million to spend advertising its doomed plan for $100,000 degrees.

Lee's opinion piece on political donations from mining companies was published today.

Last week, Federal Labor voted with the Liberals and Nationals to block a Senate motion calling for a ban on political donations from mining and coal seam gas companies.

As talk of the next election and a possible double dissolution heats up, Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon has called on the Abbott government to get its priorities right and make Senate voting reform a priority for the coming sitting weeks.

“Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been sitting on a parliamentary report that recommends optional preferential voting for the Senate. It is time the government moved on this important reform”, Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said.

Labor has voted with the Liberals and Nationals to block a Senate motion that detailed their failure to return all the political donations that they have received from the CSG company Santos and that calls for a ban on political donations from mining and coal seam gas companies.

“It is deeply disappointing that Labor has refused to back a ban on political donations from mining and coal seam gas companies,” said Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon.

Commenting on the news that the Abbott government has appointed Mr Reg Nelson, former Managing Director of Beach Energy, as chair of the Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Growth Centre, Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

“The appointment of Mr Nelson further strengthens the case for far reaching political donation reform.

“Beach Energy has been a major donor to the Liberal Party, giving a donation of over $230,000 in the lead up to the last two federal elections.