Financial disclosure returns for ACT political parties, Members of the Legislative Assembly and associated entities for the 2011/2012 financial year were released today by the ACT Electoral Commissioner, Phillip Green.

“The returns show details of receipts, gifts, payments and debts related to political participants in the ACT for the last financial year,” Mr Green said.

The 2011/2012 returns are the first to be published under the new disclosure timetable introduced by amendments to the Electoral Act that took effect on 1 July this year. “Up to this year the annual returns were not made public until the February after the end of the financial year,” Mr Green said.

The new timetable requires the annual returns of ACT political parties, MLAs and associated entities of political parties to be made public at the beginning of September after the end of the relevant financial year. “This means that in an ACT election year returns are in the public domain before the October election,” Mr Green said.

The returns can be inspected on the ACT Electoral Commission’s website or in person at the office of the Electoral Commissioner at 41 Rae Street, Belconnen between 9:00am and 5:00pm on weekdays. For public enquiries phone 6205 0033.

The date for the public release of disclosure returns from donors to political parties has also been brought forward from February to the beginning of the October after the end of the relevant financial year.