2019-09-18
Jamie Parker MP, NSW Greens spokesperson for anti-corruption, has welcomed a proposal from the NSW Premier to ban cash-only donations above $100 to political parties but says simply adding more laws won't make Labor and Liberal MPs obey them.
The Greens have proposed a detailed suite of anti-corruption measures including:
- Doubling of ICAC funding;
- Ban on all corporate political donations;
- Ban on pay-per-view fundraising events;
- Improved protections for whistle-blowers; and
- New laws to better capture corrupt conduct by MPs.
Jamie Parker MP says:
"The state of NSW politics is a national embarrassment. We're now in the ridiculous position of having Labor and Liberal MPs bickering in the floor of Parliament over which party is less corrupt.
"Tinkering at the edges of this broken system won't fix the rot in our politics or restore public confidence in politicians.
"MPs from both sides of politics have shown they are willing to subvert the anti-corruption laws we have already and simply adding more new rules won't change that.
"Funding to the ICAC has been falling since 2015 meanwhile referral numbers are climbing and their investigations are becoming more complex.
"We need a strong, well-funded ICAC to thoroughly investigate the political corruption that has been exposed within both the Liberal and Labor parties.
"The Greens are calling for a total ban on all corporate political donations to eliminate the corrupting influence of corporations and big business on politics.
"NSW needs a ban on pay-per-view fundraising events like the one currently being investigated by the ICAC, and this was one of the key recommendations we made into ICAC's current lobbying probe.
"Pay-per-view fundraising events are designed to sell access to decision-makers and they invite corruption," he says.
Jamie Parker meets with the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Friday 20 September to discuss his proposals for lobbying regulation reform.
Jamie is available for an interview.