WITH all the post-Wollongong ICAC talk of transparency and sunlight, you’d think our State MPs would now be an open book when it comes to political donations. Not so.
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Shoalhaven offers an instructive example. Back when Shelley Hancock was first elected in 2003 we had some idea of where her financial support was coming from. Ten donors outside Liberal Party organisations were listed where donations exceeded $200. Even so, these declarations revealed the source of just 7 per cent of an $185,000 campaign.
Transparency went downhill from there.
Gareth Ward’s 2008 campaign for Shoalhaven City Council had almost half his political donations washed through the NSW Liberal Party accounts, despite the fact he was not a Liberal-endorsed candidate. The party used similar accounting methods for several other non-endorsed council candidates across NSW that year, effectively disguising the original source of donations. The practice was subsequently prohibited in 2010.
The 2011 state election campaign became even more opaque. Both Ms Hancock and Mr Ward declared they received no political donations. Zero. This is despite targeted fund-raiser events such “Lunch with Barry O’Farrell MP and Gareth Ward” ($5727 raised) and “Dinner with the Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP and Gareth Ward” ($870 raised). It is also despite some donor declarations clearly indicating a targeted purpose of funds, with “Gareth Ward, Liberal” and “Shelley Hancock, Liberal” described as beneficiaries. All donations were instead processed through the party structure, disguising any implication of local political obligation.
While there is no suggestion that our local MPs have personal involvement in the illegal practices subject to the current ICAC hearings, they have certainly been participants in a party-wide practice of increasing obfuscation.
Instead of openness, politicians and their parties have pushed donations deeper into an accounting labyrinth, preferring to hide than to reveal. Perhaps with blood now spilt from both sides of the political divide we can move beyond cynical amendments to election funding law designed to starve the opposing side of funds. Surely now there will be genuine and bipartisan motivation for election funding reform.
M. Corrigan,
Vincentia.