[Greens-Media] Barry O'Farrell's spineless model for donations reform

[Lee Rhiannon]

Media Release - Greens MP Lee Rhiannon - 7 August 2009

Barry O'Farrell's spineless model for donations reform

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon has called on NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell to toughen his policy on donations reform to match that of his Liberal colleague, South Australian Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond, who yesterday committed to the Canadian model of electoral funding.

"The NSW Opposition Leader should inject some backbone into his policy by banning corporate donations and limiting individual donations to $1,000 as in Canada," Ms Rhiannon said.

"Mr O'Farrell must also take a leaf out of Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's book and ban his MPs from attending business fundraisers.

"While Mr O'Farrell says he wants to ban corporate donations he has twice in the last twelve months voted to block Greens legislation that would have banned developer donations.

"The NSW Liberal Party is proposing a half-baked model of capping election spending and banning "success fees" for lobbyists.  

"This position illustrates the party's reluctance to give up the millions of dollars from big business and other interests which flows to it each year.

"Barry O'Farrell is limping behind his Labor and Liberal colleagues across the nation when he should be pushing Premier Nathan Rees to act by putting forward a rigorous model for reform.

"Rees and O'Farrell look like Tweedledum and Tweedledee when it comes to cleaning up donations. 

"Both leaders say the issue is best dealt with federally and neither are willing to set a progressive agenda on an issue which is increasingly occupying the public mind.

"With Premier Nathan Rees' leadership under threat, Mr O'Farrell could boost his standing by adopting a progressive model to clean up donations in this state," Ms Rhiannon said. 

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