Democracy for Sale

Ben Schneiders  The Age 18 August 2010

THE Greens have received their largest-ever political donation with a disaffected Victorian blue-collar union giving $325,000 to help the party win the seat of Melbourne and its first Victorian Senate spot.

The Electrical Trades Union's Victorian branch - which until last month was affiliated with Labor - recently gave $125,000 to the campaign to elect Greens candidate Adam Bandt in the marginal seat of Melbourne.  A further $200,000 has been donated to help Richard Di Natale become the first Greens senator for Victoria.

Royce Millar & Ben Schneiders  The Age  7 August 2010

Trade unions in Australia may have lost clout, but they continue to be a major source of Labor funds.  However, in NSW the property industry has topped the unions as the largest contributor to the ALP in four of the past ten years. 

After the disastrous move by the Howard government to cripple the federal disclosure scheme effective in December 2005, it is impossible to accurately understand how much is really given to political parties by unions or various business groups.  But the best guess, including far more accurate figures from the NSW Election Funding Authority, is that unions may have contributed as much as $150 million over the past decade.

The Australian   4 August 2010

The Liberal Party has enlisted fundraisers Ron Walker and John Calvert Jones in a desperate bid to add to its campaign coffers before the 21 August poll.

"Ron and John are wearing out shoe leather in the corridors of Melbourne and Sydney," according to a Liberal Party source.

Lee Rhiannon  Hack Triple J   4 August 2010

Hear Lee Rhiannon speak about the tobacco industry, which is a large donor to the Liberal Party, backing the campaign by the Alliance of Australian Retailers against the federal Labor government's proposal to mandate plain packaging for cigarettes in order to reduce the numbers of people smoking.

Academic Peter van Onselen also discusses the issue.   Senator John Faulkner talks about the blocking by the Coalition of greater transparency of the source of political donations.

Royce Millar  The Age  27 July 2010

FORMER federal treasurer Peter Costello is at the centre of a heated row within Liberal ranks over his refusal to relinquish almost $1 million donated to the conservative cause.

With the party crying poor and warning that it is being outspent by Labor in the current federal election campaign, some senior Liberals are frustrated by Mr Costello's squirrelling away of donations in an associated entity of the Liberal Party known as the Higgins 200 Foundation.

There also is anger in the Liberal Party about Costello causing a byelection leading the Libs to spend $500,000 defending a safe seat from a Greens challenge.

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon and Norman Thompson Media Release 15 May 2010

Research by the Greens Democracy4Sale political donations project has found that The Warringah Club based in Brookvale NSW, which is a major political donor to the Liberal opposition leader Tony Abbott, has failed to meet its disclosure requirements under federal and NSW electoral laws over a nine year period, even following action taken by the NSW Crown Solicitor's office.

Royce Millar The Age & Sydney Morning Herald 17 April 2010

An analysis by The Age and Democracy4Sale researcher Norman Thompson found the personal financial backing for Liberal heavyweights Hockey and leader Tony Abbott from 2007 to 2009 through dinners, cocktails, donations and membership of local policy ''forums'' that jovial Joe Hockey has managed to draw more than $500,000 from Australian business. Tony Abbott was far behind, but was able to rake in much health company money although it appears much remains hidden from the public.

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon called on Mr Abbott to address the ongoing controversy around campaign funding, and the need for reform. ''Tony Abbott is desperate to gain headway in the polls,'' Ms Rhiannon said. ''He would be wise to clean up his own house, break his silence on the issue and commit to reforming federal funding and disclosure laws."

Royce Millar The Age and Sydney Morning Herald 17 April 2010

An analysis by The Age and Democracy4Sale researcher Norman Thompson found the personal financial backing for Liberal heavyweights Hockey and leader Tony Abbott from 2007 to 2009 through dinners, cocktails, donations and membership of local policy ''forums'' that jovial Joe Hockey has managed to draw more than $500,000 from Australian business. Tony Abbott was far behind, but was able to rake in much health company money allthough it appears much remains hidden from the public.

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon called on Mr Abbott to address the ongoing controversy around campaign funding, and the need for reform. ''Tony Abbott is desperate to gain headway in the polls,'' Ms Rhiannon said. ''He would be wise to clean up his own house, break his silence on the issue and commit to reforming federal funding and disclosure laws."

Royce Millar The Age 16 April 2010

VICTORIAN businesses to hand over tens of thousands of dollars to the Liberal Party in exchange for exclusive access to its most senior federal and state politicians, including leaders Tony Abbott and Ted Baillieu.

Royce Millar The Age 6 April 2010

Victorian Labor's fundraising arm, Progressive Business, may have cancelled their controversial annual business forum, but Lindsay Fox's son Andrew is set to host an exclusive $5000-a head soiree for Labor at his Toorak mansion.

Victorian government senior cabinet members expected to attend include Treasurer John Lenders, Finance, Water and Tourism Minister Tim Holding, and Roads, Ports and Major Projects Minister Tim Pallas.  Premier Brumby would not comment yesterday about the probity of such events, or even if he was attending.