Worst politician makes best political move- ever
Saturday March 22nd 2008, 8:15 pm

Iemma plan to ban political donations

Andrew Clennell
State Political Editor
March 22, 2008

POLITICAL donations could be banned in NSW and replaced by public funding of election campaigns to dispel public perceptions that giving money buys access and influence.

The suggestion by the Premier, Morris Iemma, shows how deeply the Government has been hurt by the fall-out from the Wollongong bribery scandal and a series of Herald reports on the extent of donations from developers and hotels.

Mr Iemma has asked the ALP general secretary, Karl Bitar, to consult the other parties to gauge support. The ban would be unprecedented in Australian politics.

‘Unprecedented in Australian politics’? How about simply ‘unprecedented in politics?

I can’t think of anywhere else in the world where political donations are banned.

While such a sweeping reform is long, long overdue from ANY politician or government, I doubt it’ll ultimately save Iemma’s political bacon… but it sure is a mightily brave populist move.

Onya Morrie, you get ONE attaboy.

-weez


3 Comments so far
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Brave? Stupid? Desperate?

Don’t care. Just do it.

I laughed myself under the table when I heard this. I conjured up images of the US political scene without lobby groups … mmm … wake up. Nice dream. No NRA, No AIPAC, No Big Pharma …

NSW is smaller enough politically to do this and maybe the Milky Bar Kid will make it a re election issue for the federal government?

Either way, it’s making Howard’s raising of disclosure to $10,000 look as sinister as it really was.

Comment by Terry Wright 03.22.08 @ 9:06 pm

I think the Milky Bar Kid probably gave Morrie the idea for this. It’s all so very unlike Iemma’s usual frantic thrashing about in purely defensive, external attribution mode, as he usually is when his ass is nailed to the wall.

Such a move, dare I say stunt, may not save Iemma’s hide but it may save Labor’s at the next NSW elections. It’ll be most interesting to see if this passes Parliamentary muster- and if not, who opposed it. No politician with any hope of being re-elected could possibly oppose such a measure.

If it happens, it’s the best thing to happen to Australian politics since the implementation of the AEC.

Comment by weez 03.23.08 @ 5:34 am

If it happens, it’s the best thing to happen to Australian politics

I agree weez.

Too much government business is hidden from the public and Dawkins forbid if we ever go down the US path of the powerful lobby groups. Actually, it would be even worse if we continue with the influence of the religious right.

brrrrr … sca -ry

Comment by Terry Wright 03.23.08 @ 6:38 pm



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