Tony Abbott’s Warringah Club fundraiser tonight: major parties should
commit to election funding reform
With the Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott set to hold a major
Liberal Party fundraiser tonight in Pyrmont, Greens lead Senate
candidate Lee Rhiannon has called on Mr Abbott and the Prime Minister
Julia Gillard to commit to electoral funding reform during the
election period.
“Electoral funding reform has fallen off the political agenda since
former Federal Senator John Faulkner committed to achieving it during
Labor’s first term,” Ms Rhiannon said.
“Unlike his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull, Mr Abbott has made no
commitment to donations reform.
“Membership of organisations like the Warringah Club, and attendance
at their fundraising events, gives wealthy individuals and companies
access to Mr Abbott and other politicians, but it is virtually
impossible to find out who is involved. Such intimate access is not
available to the ordinary citizen.
“Associated entities like the Warringah Club allow big corporations to
make significant donations, yet a loophole enables them to be hidden
from public scrutiny.
“Past work by the Greens’ Democracy4Sale project shows that a
proportion of the money from Warringah Club activities goes to
Abbott's campaign, with one large $40,000 amount contributed in
September 2007.
“Mr Abbott’s fundraising entity, the Warringah Club, has been the
subject of controversy in recent years for failing to make proper
disclosures of monies they receive.
“Our research has also discovered that other donors to Abbott’s
personal war chest during his stint as health minister, included
property company Henroth Investments, Blackmores Ltd, Medicines
Australia and Ramsay Health Care.
“Unfortunately, because the Warringah Club’s returns to NSW and
Federal election funding authorities have been incomplete or
non-existent, no clear picture has emerged of its patrons.
“The Electoral Funding Authority is currently investigating possible
breaches of the NSW Election Funding Act by the Warringah Club,
following a complaint made by the Democracy4Sale project.
“The Warringah Club was referred to the Crown Solicitor by the NSW
Election Funding Authority following the 2007 NSW election for failing
to make proper disclosures as required when it receives donations or
incurs electoral expenditure. Only then did it make a proper
disclosure.
“In recent times the Warringah Club has begun funnelling the money it
receives to the Liberal Party Head Office. The mechanism avoids
declaring individual donors.
“Electoral funding reform is vital to a healthy democracy, yet Mr
Abbott and Ms Gillard are yet to make it an election issue by
committing to reform of the system,” Ms Rhiannon said.
Contact: Lee Rhiannon 0427 861 568
Visit Lee’s donations project at http://www.democracy4sale.org/