Electoral funding declaration from Independents Group failed to disclose four years’ worth of political donations
THE SHOALHAVEN Independents Group broke NSW election funding laws after the last council election by not disclosing the political contributions received for the time period required.
The party, led by Shoalhaven Mayor Greg Watson, was supposed to disclose political contributions received and expenditure incurred from 30 days after the previous local government election, in 1999.
Instead it reported from when the election was called, in October 2003.
Because of this discrepancy the public could not view on the public record that Cr Watson had rolled thousands of dollars from his personal 2003 NSW State election campaign into the Shoalhaven Independent Group’s coffers.
Nor could the public know what those funds were spent on.
A NSW Election Funding Authority spokesperson confirmed that the Election Funding Act requires disclosure for parties of political contributions and electoral expenditure from 31 days after the previous election.
However, the “Act requires that any proceedings in respect of an offence against this Act or the regulations may be commenced within three years after the offence and no longer”.
“As such the EFA has no ability to take any action on any matter where the alleged offence occurred more than three years ago,” the spokesperson said.
Cr Watson generated a surplus of $11,145 as a candidate in the 2003 election.
According to the EFA, Cr Watson received $47,260 in political contributions, was paid $2687 by the EFA after gaining a certain proportion of the
vote and incurred $38,800 in electoral expenditure.
Candidates in the election were required to sign a summary of political contributions received and electoral expenditure incurred.
The form specified that no contributions beside those specified in the declaration were received and no electoral expenditure took place other than what was declared, within the legally required time period.
Cr Watson said he was happy to allow the South Coast Register to examine his bank records, and those of the Shoalhaven Independents Group, in the interests of transparency.
Robyn Watson administers those records, in line with Cr Watson’s personal policy of not looking at who gives donations.
Those records showed about $5500 was transferred from Greg Watson’s 2003 election account into the Shoalhaven Independents account.
Mrs Watson said that was a loan from Mr Watson to the Shoalhaven Independents which has not been paid back.
Mrs Watson said the difference between the $11,000 surplus and $5500 then remaining was due to a barbecue held for the 2003 campaign workers and other bills that had to be settled following the campaign.
The funds then began to be used from within the Shoalhaven Independents account for the 2004 council election campaign.
Mrs Watson said Cr Watson had not declared a large donation because the funds transfer was a loan, nor would it have been counted by Shoalhaven Independents as a political contribution.
“It’s the same with this one (upcoming council election), Greg has transferred $9000 to the Shoalhaven Independents,” she said.
Mrs Watson said while the funds were not registered on any form, the bank records had been audited by the Election Funding Authority.
The EFA spokesperson said the legislation was silent on the matter of how candidates deal with a profit earned from a political campaign.