QUEENSLAND'S Liberal National Party government has used its huge majority to pass laws that will keep political donations under $12,400 a secret from voters.

Government MP Chris Davis, who was recently sacked as an assistant minister for speaking out against the LNP's policies, said he simply could not back the change, saying it posed too great a risk to democracy.

He said voters in his electorate had urged him to vote against the bill, but when it came time for that, he was not in the chamber.

The changes mean that only political donations over $12,400 will now have to be declared to the electoral commission, a dramatic rise from the old threshold of just $1000.

Dr Davis told parliament the bill offered third parties a greater opportunity to contribute financially to the business of politics.

"The front door to government is the ballot box and elected representatives, and the back door is other forms of influence," he told parliament.

He said the risks posed by that kind of influence had prompted NSW Premier Mike Baird to nail that back door shut, amid the ongoing corruption inquiry in his state.

Mr Baird has called for an urgent ban on political donations and the introduction of publicly-funded election campaigns.

"I cannot support uncapping donations and raising reporting thresholds," Dr Davis said, arguing precisely the opposite kind of action was needed.

He said governments should be working towards banning all donations by organisations, companies, associations, unions and research bodies, and then limiting individual donations to a low maximum.

"And we need immediate disclosure of donations," he said.

"Absolute trust in government is essential to the prosperity and wellbeing of all Queenslanders, and we should not be undertaking anything that might, without public benefit, risk that trust."

The government argues the change is necessary so state and federal disclosure rules match.

Premier Campbell Newman on Thursday said he actually wanted the federal threshold lowered, and if that happened Queensland would do the same.

But in parliament, Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said if the federal threshold rose, Queensland would do that too.

Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Newman government was content to wind back transparency measures that flowed from Queensland's dark history of corruption.

"This is about hiding donations from the public. This is about secret business," she told parliament.

"The premier said that he would have a new open and transparent government. Tonight, he has squashed that forever, because the new mantra is: 'Yes, can do mate. Just donate'."

The changes governing political donations were among a suite of laws passed overnight, including a new requirement for voters to show identification at polling booths.

Mr Bleijie said the new laws on voter identification would help prevent electoral fraud.

Independent Liz Cunningham said voters would have serious questions about why the Newman government was changing the donation reporting threshold.

"I believe that the people of Queensland will find it very difficult to accept that such a great change is done without unacceptable motives," she told parliament.

"An increase from $1000 to $12,400 does nothing but put questions in the minds of the people of Queensland that there is something that is unpalatable and unacceptable in the motivation for this change."