[Greens-Media] Baird punts donations reform into the long grass

[John Kaye]

Baird punts donations reform into the long grass

Mike Baird's expert panel on donations reform is more a pressure release valve than a genuine attempt to clean up politics in NSW, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: "NSW politics is much more than just Labor, the Liberals and a bureaucrat.

"The panel lacks the diversity required to represent the range of valid interests in the future of the election funding system.

"It risks becoming nothing but an inside job that locks out new and emerging parties and strengthens the power of the existing duopoly.

"With a reporting date that is too late for this parliament to act, the next state election will largely happen under the old corruption-vulnerable rules.

"Donations will continue to pour in from dodgy sources, with no public accountability until it is too late.

"The ICAC allegations have cast a massive cloud over the Coalition's last election victory. Waiting until after the March 2015 election for substantial reform is too late to restore public confidence.

"This will be seen for what it is - an attempt to delay the hard work of knocking out the dodgy donations, creating real accountability and ridding NSW politics of the rampant democracy-for-sale culture.

"Thanks to Mike Baird, it is business as usual for the get-rich-quick merchants and influence peddlers in NSW for the upcoming state election.

"The continued flood of corporate dollars into the major parties during the busy fundraising period over the next 8 months is bad news for democracy in NSW.

"Inevitably household taxpayers, local communities and the environment will lose out over the big donors.

"Mike Baird's expert panel on donations reform is more a pressure release valve than a genuine attempt to clean up politics in NSW," said Dr Kaye.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

John Kaye
Greens NSW MP

P: (02) 9230 2668 | F: facebook.com/john.kaye.mlc<http://www.facebook.com/john.kaye.mlc> | T: @johnkgreens<twitter.com/johnkgreens> | W: www.johnkaye.org.au<http://www.johnkaye.org.au>
Mail: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

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