[Greens-Media] (Sylvia Hale MLC) Greens Bill to Ban Developer Donations

[Christopher Holley]

Greens Bill to Ban Developer Donations
 
A bill to ban political donations by property developers is to be
introduced into the state parliament this week.
 
The Bill is scheduled to be introduced on Thursday 3 April by NSW
Greens MP, Sylvia Hale.
 
If passed, the Bill will make it an offence for anyone involved in
property development to make a donation to a political party or
candidate. 
 
It will also make it an offence for a political party or candidate to
accept a donation from a property developer. 
 
Further, it will make it an offence for any person who has made a
donation to put forward a development application, tender or expression
of interest in development work for twelve months after making the
donation or for twelve months after the application process is
complete.
 
“The purpose of this Bill is to in one simple step remove the vast
majority of conflicts of interest that have brought the state’s
planning system into such disrepute,” said Ms Hale.
 
“The Greens support further regulation of other forms of political
donations but this is an important first step.”
 
“This Bill will provide the test of whether the Labor and Liberal
parties are serious about cleaning up the political funding system.”
 
“Successive Liberal and Labor state governments have turned the NSW
planning system into little more than a state-run extortion racket.”
 
“Many developers believe that if they want to do business in NSW they
will need to donate 
to whichever major party is in power at the time,” said Ms Hale.
 
“Premier Iemma denies that donations affect Minister’s decisions,
but he is treating the public like mugs.” 
 
“No-one accepts that the Labor Party should be allowed to solicit
donations from a developer at the same time that a Labor Minister is
making a decision that could be worth millions of dollars to that
developer. It is a blatant conflict of interest and Labor refuses to
recognise it.”
 
“That is because where the public sees a conflict of interest, Labor
sees a fundraising opportunity.”
 
Further information: Chris Holley  (02)9230 3030 / 0437 779 546