[Greens-Media] Keneally proves developer donations ban loophole

[John Kaye]

Keneally proves developer donations ban loophole 
 
Media release: 1 October 2010
 
Premier Keneally scored an own goal in her attempt to defend her party against the accusation of accepting a campaign donation from a developer, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye. ('Doubt cast on ban of developer political donations' SMH 1 October, p. 5,  http://bit.ly/smh100101D)
 
Dr Kaye said: "The Premier's defence of the Labor party is an admission of a massive loophole in laws banning developer donations.
 
"There is little use in a law that can be easily bypassed by a developer setting up a shelf company to make the donations.
 
"The Premier's advice admits that the 2009 amendment is a ban in name only. 
 
"She has opened the floodgates to developer donations delivered by basic corporate engineering. Money-based planning is alive and well in NSW.
 
"The Greens will be introducing our own amendment to close the loophole. It is a straight forward matter of banning donations from developers and all companies they are associated with. If the Labor government had been serious in 2009, this is what they would have done.
 
"A cloud still hangs over this issue and it should be properly investigated.
 
"The body responsible for probing  breaches of the ban, the Electoral Funding Authority, is made up of the electoral commissioner and one nominee of each of the Premier and  the Opposition Leader. 
 
"This body is too heavily dominated by the political parties to make a sensible decision about any potential prosecution. 
 
"Both party appointees are conflicted by their loyalty to either the Opposition or the government.
"The whole file should be handed over the Director of Public Prosecutions. 
 
"The people of NSW should be able to have some confidence that the law is being enforced without prejudice or bias," Dr Kaye said.
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455 
 
 
 
 
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John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parliament
phone: (02) 9230 2668
fax: (02) 9230 2586
mobile: 0407 195 455
email: john.kaye at parliament.nsw.gov.au
web: www.johnkaye.org.au
 
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000