Comments on: Our political donations disclosure is a disgrace

By: Lucy

Lucy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Disgraceful. Oppositions are supposed to at least pretend they’re in favour of reform. And how is spending 15 months on a green paper policy on the run? Is Ronald just annoyed at the onerous reading?

Steve Fielding is a walking advertisement for unicameralism.

By: RJG

RJG — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

It’s not the disclosure of political donations that is the issue, it is the fact of political donations themselves. Companies give political donations to buy themselves access and favour with whoever the encumbant is at the time. The result is that the big end on town and to a diminishing extent extent the big unions dominate government policy. Although the word policy is quite an overstatement of what it really is.
Whitlam was the only modern politician who ever stood for something. He told them all to get stuffed and got on with his own agenda. Of course they hated him for that and sunk him and in doing so taught every polly who came after him the lesson that if you don’t tow the line you are out. Hawke was smart and the competition was crap. He attached himself to people like Bond and toed the line. In doing so he guaranteed the hegomeny of the market and the subservience of democratic government to it. By the time Keating turned up with his banana republic and the recession we had to have, it was all over. Now Rudd, his CFMEU lawyer and Fergy are a classic triumph of no style over even little substance. It’s embarrasing really. And Brumby well, words fail me.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Its never been made more clear to the mums, dads and working families of Australia just where their ballot box outlay stands in the long line of other investors in our national policy-making. This register is more than a donor roll. It’s a snapshot of some local and overseas shareholders wanting bang for their bucks in a hi-jacking of democracy. Like the game plan that stuffed the free-market political de-regulation down-under is where the doors of Casino Canberra open every election to anyone cashed up for a slice of the Aussie pie. It’s no way to run any country but who’s game enough to admit the ideological pillars of the free world – capitalism and democracy just bit the dust.

By: Chris J

Chris J — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

While this is about the potential for donations to influence political outcomes as Gillian says, parties manipulate the polls in other ways. In the lead up to elections party members and volunteers descend on those with health, intellectual and age issues all registered on MP databases whose votes usually reflect the flavour of the local MP. In Qld where MPs use their electorate offices as campaign headquarters party and government resources pitch in to push candidates over the line. By 2001 Merri Rose hadn’t just alienated her constituents but her campaign managers too and so Beattie had no choice but to call in the NSW heavyweights. Bob Carr’s office sent up a team of Young Labor flacks who steered Ms Rose back into Cabinet and history books. It’s a no holds barred bolt to the finishing line in politics with so much riding on which mount wins. As Beattie said ‘we’re not here to play drop the hanky’!!

By: Gillian Sneddon

Gillian Sneddon — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I heard from a person, in the know who I trust, that the Labor Party paid around $1,000,000 for an American Consultant to assist getting State Labor 2007 Newcastle candidate, Jody Mackay accross the line. Apparently they already have a lot of money stashed away.

Also an intelectually disabled man called into the Swansea Electorate Office, in the run up to that election, for help with his postal vote, he cannot read. A current staff member ticked “Labor”. When he said that he did not want to vote labor the staff member said, “Well that is too bad, it is done now!” A few days later when he told me about it, I rang the prepoll voting room at Swansea. The female staff member said for him to go and see her and vote there. When he went it was too late, his vote had already been activated therefore he could not vote again. When I complained they told me to take it up with the Labor Party!!!!!!!!!

By: John James

John James — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

What of trade Union affiliation fees and donations to the ALP. Many Coalition voting unionists are seeing their compulsory union membershiop fees going to relect all those Labor luminaries on the Government front bench. If we are going to reform political donations, as well as being transparent, how about being voluntary!