Australian Politics Forum - It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS

John Smith

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 76202
Gender: male

It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS
Jul 29^th, 2016 at 1:21pm

A report from the Australia Institute has claimed the millions of dollars in donations may have influenced government approval for several mining projects.

The Institute wants mining industry donations to be banned and a public inquiry to fully investigate the sector's influence on government.

The report examined political donations from mining companies and government decisions favouring their projects.

While the report found the former LNP government was the biggest beneficiary of the donations, it also raised questions about some controversial decisions made by the current state Labor Government.

At the last Queensland state election, then opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk promised to make political donations in the state more transparent amid concerns about the influence of the mining industry.

The report said the former LNP government had received almost $1.2 million in donations between 2011 and 2015, while the Queensland ALP received more than $91,000.
Linc Energy project 'should never have been approved'

One of the companies donating large sums of money was Linc Energy, which Mr Ogge said had contributed more than $300,000.

"What actually happened was there was a massive contamination case, subsequent to that the practice of underground coal gas cases had been banned in Queensland and there's charges pending against the company," he said.

"That project should never have been approved and when you look at what actually happened, they gave a really large amount of money to the various political parties."

The report also linked coal mining group Adani's $50,000 donations to the former LNP government and its decision to use millions of taxpayer dollars to build supporting rail and port infrastructure.

Revel Pointon from Queensland's Environmental Defenders Office said it was also concerned about the council's lobbying and influence over Mining Minister Anthony Lynham.

"We don't understand why they would want a tribunal because it would effectively make no change in terms of concerns they keep raising about the length of time that the court process takes," she said.

"Also we've seen the comments the Mining Minister has made, and comments just generally in the media around the Land Court process and how long it takes has led to much more expedited processes for the hearings we're involved with."

The report said Dr Lynham had 87 meetings with the mining sector, 50 per cent more than his LNP predecessor.

Mining donations should be banned: Australia Institute

Resources Council head Michael Roche slammed the report as biased and narrow and admitted to actively lobbying the Mining Minister to scrap the Land Court.

"It is open slather, so what we have said … to Government [is] these processes are rolling on with seemingly endless timetables.

"So if it's going to be open slather in terms of who can object, then we need some tightening of time frames."

He argued Queensland's Land Court should be replaced with a tribunal.

The institute has called for mining industry donations to be banned, and along with Peter Wellington, an Independent MP, has called for a public inquiry to fully investigate the sector's influence on the Government.

Mr Wellington said for the election promise of greater transparency in political donations to be effective, it needed to be enforced on a national level.

"There are serious allegations that money is donated by development vested interests to a federal branch of a political party, and that money is filtered back to [the] state branch of political party to camouflage or hide the source of funding," he said.

The ABC approached the Minister for comment but was directed to the Attorney-General, who provided a statement.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-29/mining-industry-denies-donations-gave-it-i...

Back to top

Our esteemed leader:
I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus.

IP Logged

Bam

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 21905
Gender: male

Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS
Reply #1 - Jul 29^th, 2016 at 1:39pm

ALL political donations to political parties should be banned. Only after we have decoupled political parties from the influence of donors can those parties be trusted to make decisions in the public interest and not for vested interests.

* Ban political donations to parties
* Increase public funding of candidates at elections
* Introduce a spending cap on election campaigns

Back to top

You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to hold opinions that you can defend through sound, reasoned argument.

IP Logged

Swagman Gold Member Offline Beware of cheap imitations...... Posts: 15095 Illawarra NSW Gender:	Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS Reply #2 - Jul 29^th, 2016 at 2:22pm Quote: A report from the Australia Institute .......stop there
Back to top	IP Logged

Bam

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 21905
Gender: male

Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS
Reply #3 - Jul 29^th, 2016 at 3:33pm

Swagman wrote on Jul 29^th, 2016 at 2:22pm:

Quote:

A report from the Australia Institute

.......stop there Cheesy

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b76/timbo2530/ANTI20BS.jpg

I see your brain has malfunctioned again. You may want to do something about that.

What is wrong with the idea of banning political donations?

Back to top

You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to hold opinions that you can defend through sound, reasoned argument.

IP Logged

John Smith Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 76202 Gender:	Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS Reply #4 - Jul 29^th, 2016 at 3:46pm Swagman wrote on Jul 29^th, 2016 at 2:22pm: .......stop there Cheesy Grin why? you worried someone is not spreading Murdoch's message?
Back to top	Our esteemed leader: I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus. IP Logged

Its time Gold Member Offline Boot libs out Posts: 25639 Gender:	Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS Reply #5 - Jul 29^th, 2016 at 6:07pm The liberal party would cease to exist without business donations
Back to top	IP Logged

Kat Gold Member Offline Socialism IS the answer. Posts: 17709 Everywhere and no-where Gender:	Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS Reply #6 - Jul 29^th, 2016 at 6:11pm Its time wrote on Jul 29^th, 2016 at 6:07pm: The liberal party would cease to exist without business donations Not that there's anything wrong with that...
Back to top	IP Logged

perceptions_now Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 11694 Perth WA Gender:	Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS Reply #7 - Jul 29^th, 2016 at 7:13pm It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS! Well, I can't agree with that statement! We are already WELL PAST TIME, WHEN ALL POLITICAL DONATIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BANNED!!!
Back to top	IP Logged

bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS Reply #8 - Jul 30^th, 2016 at 8:29am Naturally such a ban would include payments to the ALP by unions?
Back to top	Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism. IP Logged

Grappler Truth Teller

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 86742
Always was always will be HOME
Gender: male

Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS
Reply #9 - Jul 30^th, 2016 at 8:41am

bogarde73 wrote on Jul 30^th, 2016 at 8:29am:

Naturally such a ban would include payments to the ALP by unions?

Did anyone say otherwise? "political donations" is an all-encompassing headline...

I've long said that the problem for Labour in this country is not the addiction of Labor (sic) to the Unions, but the addiction of the Unions to Labor as it is currently constituted - as little more than a cafe' socialist forum and a pathway for specified groups and University politicians into a fat and safe life alongside their Liberal mates.

As for - "How will the parties survive?" - the answer is - "On their merits!"

Back to top

“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
― John Adams

IP Logged

bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS Reply #10 - Jul 30^th, 2016 at 8:44am Nobody mentioned it though. It was all about business donations, am I right?
Back to top	Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism. IP Logged

Grappler Truth Teller

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 86742
Always was always will be HOME
Gender: male

Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS
Reply #11 - Jul 30^th, 2016 at 8:53am

bogarde73 wrote on Jul 30^th, 2016 at 8:44am:

Nobody mentioned it though. It was all about business donations, am I right?

Payment for service? Of course it should be totally banned and made a criminal offence. You don't buy and sell politicians and policy to suit yourself.

Funding of the Labor Party by the Unions is very much trickier for the simple reason that Labor was established by the Unions - however - Labor politicians have made it clear they are not bound by the Unions unless they wish to be, so that umbilical cord has been severed in my view - and that means Unions cannot buy and sell politicians and policy, but only offer a public and open view, same as business.

I'm afraid that Unions and Labour lost their way thirty plus years ago and are as wandering in the wilderness as the Liberals are. That much was made clear at the last election - the only reason either of these sidewalk cafe' self-entitlement exercises continues in politics is.... nobody can see a viable alternative....

Which is precisely why we NEED a viable alternative.

Back to top

“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
― John Adams

IP Logged

Bam

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 21905
Gender: male

Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS
Reply #12 - Jul 30^th, 2016 at 9:08am

bogarde73 wrote on Jul 30^th, 2016 at 8:44am:

Nobody mentioned it though. It was all about business donations, am I right?

Somehow the post I made that mentioned banning "ALL political donations" has escaped your attention. I didn't specifically mention donations from unions, but I also didn't specifically mention donations from businesses. It should be obvious - ALL means ALL.

Back to top

You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to hold opinions that you can defend through sound, reasoned argument.

IP Logged

Grappler Truth Teller

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 86742
Always was always will be HOME
Gender: male

Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS
Reply #13 - Jul 30^th, 2016 at 10:07am

Don't forget to add in buying time to a sit-down with the Minister or whatever.... won't stop the long lunches etc, but get some real investigative media on-board and the photos will fly thick and fast....

Treasurer Mike "Little" Ripper caught doing lunch with business head!!

Lateral Party said to be in turmoil over minister buying scandal! Midnight meeting called by PM!

Back to top

“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
― John Adams

IP Logged

John Smith

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 76202
Gender: male

Re: It'S TIME TO BAN POLITICAL DONATIONS
Reply #14 - Jul 30^th, 2016 at 10:14am

bogarde73 wrote on Jul 30^th, 2016 at 8:44am:

Nobody mentioned it though. It was all about business donations, am I right?

the story is about donations from mining companies ... the title of the OP doesn't differentiate between union or business, it just says that it's time to ban political donation ... ALL OF THEM

Back to top

Our esteemed leader:
I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus.

IP Logged