Yay for Australian politics...not

[Marshal Qin]

Secret donations 'a corruption threat'
13:32 AEST Fri May 20 2005
AAP
A government plan to triple the amount that can be secretly donated to political parties will open Australian politics to corruption, says Opposition Leader Kim Beazley.

Special Minister of State Eric Abetz is considering raising the threshold for companies declaring a donation to political parties from $1,500 to around $5,000.

For individuals, the figure would likely rise from $100 to as much as $5,000. These donations do not have to be declared to the Australian Electoral Commission and are tax-deductible.

Mr Beazley, who introduced the original restrictions on secret donations back in 1984, said the move would bring Australian politics closer to the US system, which he said was undesirable.

And when asked whether the plan could build corruption into the systems, Mr Beazley answered: "Of course."

"Eric Abetz intends to undermine it, and he is driving us in the US direction," he told Southern Cross Radio.

"I have got a great respect for the United States, but I don't want the US political system here.

"It's not a single $5,000 you see. Once you have got $5,000 bucks, you can get about 100 people together, you get $500,000 in a slush fund and away you go.

"Anything that reduces transparency increases the risk, it's as simple as that."

Mr Beazley said the plan was the first manifestation of the Liberals' clear majority in the Senate, due to come into force in July.

"We have been warning of the impact of the Liberals getting absolute power at the federal level, and you are beginning to see the little manifestations of it and the arrogance and the bit of self-seeking," he said.

"And this is a bit of self-seeking by the Liberal Party, an effort to create slush funds that they can conceal from the general public.

"Wherever transparency goes, honesty goes as well and some people become more equal than others."


©AAP 2005

Well isn't that just bloody marvelous, good old Liberal party and John Howard continue along the path of USification started with moving universities towards elitist institutions for the wealthy and pandering to the pharmaceutical companies at the expense of medicare.

I've been away from Oz for 3 years and I get more worried about whats happening every time I read the news. How far will it go, or more to the point, how far will the Australian community let it go? We are pretty apathetic when it comes to what our politicians are doing but will we ever wake up and do something? The libs with their majority are uncontrollable.

[Dr Zoidberg]

It is scary isn't it. Compared with what the government is going to do once it gets the Senate majority in July, this almost seems timid by comparrison. Say goodbye to Telsta, the Inustrial Manslaughter Legislation, Tougher Unionism... its all going to go.

The only thing I do approve the government doing is abolishing compulsory student unionism, but that could take a thread of its own.

[Ldvs]

Such funds existed in France too, but they were exposed and that was quite a scandale as you can easily assume it. Handing out funds to political parties without let it be known publicly was perfectly legal. Once exposed, things changed, though. I can't recall the exact year, but these secret funds no longer exist, or to be more specific, they exist but are to be reported publicly each year.