2016-05-03
03/05/2016
The Greens have renewed their call for all candidates and parties to disclose the source of their main donations in advance of an election, following reports today of a Liberal National Party branch providing large donations to ‘independent’ candidates in the recent local council elections.
Greens spokesperson Andrew Bartlett said the public has a right to know if candidates claiming to be independent were receiving funds or other formal support from political parties.
“It is simply ridiculous for candidates to present themselves to the electorate as being independent when they are secretly receiving tens of thousands of dollars from a political party, or their proxies.”
“The public is sick and tired of big business using money to influence political parties and candidates. We should be limiting donations across the board, but in the meantime the very least that should be done is for candidates presenting as independents to declare before an election whether or not they are receiving support from a political party.
“At the last Council elections, despite the current practice and tradition being for candidates to run without political party branding everywhere except Brisbane, Greens branches deliberately decided to run candidates openly branded as endorsed and supported by the party because we believe it is important to be up front with the electorate.
“Everybody suspects that some so-called ‘independent’ candidates receive significant support from political parties, but these affiliations are rarely declared.
“These latest revelations may well be just the tip of the iceberg. It is reasonable to assume this information has only come to light now because of LNP infighting, with some in the party clearly trying to get federal MP Stuart Robert disendorsed and forced out of his safe seat ahead of the election. Who knows what other similar donations are being channelled through other ‘donation washing’ bodies similar to the ‘Fadden Forum’ of Mr Robert’s local branch?"
For further comment, contact Andrew Bartlett on 0418 743 789.