Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated ActsOffence by gift recipient etc.
(1) A person or entity (the relevant person ) contravenes this subsection if:
(a) the relevant person is:
(ia) a member of the House of Representatives or a Senator; or
(i) the agent of a political entity; or
(ii) the financial controller of a significant third party or an associated entity; or
(iii) a third party; and
(b) a gift is made to, or for the benefit of, the member of the House of Representatives, Senator, political entity, significant third party, associated entity or third party by a foreign donor; and
(c) the relevant person knows that the donor is a foreign donor; and
(d) the amount or value of the gift is at least $100; and
(e) either of the following applies:
(i) the relevant person knows that the foreign donor intends the gift to be used for the purposes of incurring electoral expenditure, or for the dominant purpose of creating or communicating electoral matter;
(ii) the relevant person accepted the gift intending to use the gift for the purposes of incurring electoral expenditure, or for the dominant purpose of creating or communicating electoral matter; and
(f) acceptable action has not been taken in relation to the gift before the end of the acceptable action period in relation to the gift.
Note: The physical elements of an offence against subsection (3) are set out in this subsection (see section 302R).
Offence by foreign donor
(2) A person or entity (the donor ) contravenes this subsection if:
(a) the donor is a foreign donor; and
(b) the donor makes a gift to, or for the benefit of, another person or entity; and
(c) the other person or entity is:
(ia) a member of the House of Representatives or a Senator; or
(i) a political entity; or
(ii) a significant third party; or
(iia) an associated entity; or
(iii) a third party; and
(d) if the other person or entity is a third party:
(i) the donor intends the gift to be used for the purposes of incurring electoral expenditure, or for the dominant purpose of creating or communicating electoral matter; or
(ii) the donor knows that the other person or entity accepts the gift intending to use the gift for the purposes of incurring electoral expenditure, or for the dominant purpose of creating or communicating electoral matter; and
(e) in any case--acceptable action has not been taken in relation to the gift before the end of the acceptable action period in relation to the gift.
Note: The physical elements of an offence against subsection (3) are set out in this subsection (see section 302R).
Offence
(3) A person or entity commits an offence if the person or entity contravenes subsection (1) or (2).
(a) for a contravention of subsection (1) by a third party--50 penalty units; or
(b) otherwise--100 penalty units.
(4) Section 15.4 of the Criminal Code (extended geographical jurisdiction--category D) applies to an offence against subsection (3).
Civil penalty
(5) A person or entity is liable to a civil penalty if the person or entity contravenes subsection (1) or (2).
Civil penalty:
The higher of the following amounts:
(a) either:
(i) for a contravention of subsection (1) by a third party--100 penalty units; or
(ii) otherwise--200 penalty units;
(b) if there is sufficient evidence for the court to determine the amount or value, or an estimate of the amount or value, of the gift at the time the gift is made--3 times that amount or value.
(6) Subsection (5) applies:
(a) whether or not the conduct constituting the contravention of subsection (1) or (2) occurs in Australia; and
(b) whether or not a result of the conduct constituting the alleged contravention of subsection (1) or (2) occurs in Australia.
Candidates and groups
(7) Despite subsection 287(9), for the purposes of this section, a person who is a candidate in an election or by - election:
(a) is taken to begin to be a candidate in the election or by - election on the earlier of the following days:
(i) the day that is 6 months before the day the person announced that the person would be a candidate in the election or by - election;
(ii) the day that is 6 months before the day the person nominated as a candidate in the election or by - election; and
(b) is taken to cease to be a candidate in the election or by - election at the end of 30 days after the polling day in the election or by - election.
Note: Under subsection 4(1), a candidate in an election or by - election is a political entity .
(8) Despite subsection 287(9), for the purposes of this section, a group:
(a) is taken to begin to be a group in an election on the day that is 6 months before the day the members of the group make a request under section 168 for their names to be grouped in the ballot papers for the election; and
(b) is taken to cease to be a group in the election at the end of 30 days after the polling day in the election.
Note: Under subsection 4(1), a member of a group is a political entity .