Sack the marching girls
Tony Abbott has defended the canvassing of political donations from big business as a “time honoured” practice which prevents taxpayers from being forced to subsidise election campaigns.
Why is the only alternative taxpayers having to fund parties? Must we go down the US road of spending millions to buy public office? How about the political parties start recognising that millions spent on buying themselves a job might just be a waste of money. Tell us your policies then let us decide. Do we really need the brass bands and marching girls and letter boxes full of junk mail?
Christopher Pyne wants to ban donations from corporate Australia, lobby groups and unions, and limit it to individuals. Right. So you want to ban any collective voice the people may have and just let Gina, Rupert, Twiggy and Nathan decide who wins?
We own a national broadcaster. Why can’t we give political parties time on the ABC to plead their case during the election?
In the UK, paid political advertising is banned and this extends to lobby groups. When it comes to election time, they are all given free airtime.
“Political adverts are – and have always been – banned on British TV and radio. That ban has wide support and has helped sustain the balance of views which is at the heart of British broadcasting – and ensures the political views broadcast into our homes are not determined by those with the deepest pockets.”
I am not sure how you control Rupert from giving his party of choice free advertising under the guise of “opinion”. We can only hope that the days of being able to hoodwink people are numbered with the fact check ability afforded us by the internet.
In Canada they have a $1200 limit on donations, whether they be from an organisation or an individual, and they limit campaign spending to a sensibly low amount.
Our democracy is being undermined by allowing those who have the most money to have the most influence. If I felt they were offering altruistic advice then I might appreciate their input and experience. Considering their sole motivation is to maximise their profit by minimising regulations and their taxation contribution, I would say that they should be given no access to our political decision-making, paid for or otherwise.
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57 comments
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contemporaryshaman -
Matters Not -
Kaye Lee -
Dan Rowden -
Matters Not -
mars08 -
Terry2 -
Lee -
Matters Not -
ShaunJ -
rick5591 -
Matters Not -
Stephen Tardrew -
Matters Not -
MariAnne McCormack -
Stephen Tardrew -
Stephen Tardrew -
Delia Lord -
oldfart -
Peter Luxton -
Kaye Lee -
Möbius Ecko -
Michael Taylor -
Kaye Lee -
rick5591 -
rick5591 -
Kaye Lee -
Matters Not -
Stephen Tardrew -
rick5591 -
jimhaz -
rick5591 -
Matters Not -
Stephen Tardrew -
diannaart -
Kaye Lee -
Kaye Lee -
Kaye Lee -
diannaart -
'FairGo Australia' -
Stephen Tardrew -
Don Winther -
rick5591 -
Buff McMenis -
Matters Not -
KazD -
Kaye Lee -
Matters Not -
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Kaye Lee -
Lee -
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corvus boreus -
Lee
Return to home pageShould not be funded at all. They can pay their own way as they get shit loads of money themselves. They should all just stand on a box for a day with a lie detector attached and the independent media films them all and then the people vote. No con jobs, no baby kissing, no scamming.
Here in Queensland political donations are capped.
But under the Newman government:
And that will happen in the coming weeks. But there’s always a way around. Again in Queensland:
Shorten should promise that when in government the ALP will move post haste to set up the equivalent of an ICAC. What’s he waiting for?
The taxpayer cost of federal elections has increased from $38 million in 1984 to $161 million in 2010. Of the latter $53 million was public funding to parties and candidates. Currently, in spite of massive increases, public funding is less than 20 per cent of about $350 million total election spending. We are now effectively the second best democracy money can buy.
An incumbent lower house federal candidate today has effectively $400,000 worth of facilities and money to ward off challengers. Major parties can transfer a million or so extra dollars from safe seats if they really want to stop an outsider. It also enables the government parties to “pork barrel” specific seats.
There is an overwhelming need to reduce overall election spending. The United States democracy has been largely destroyed by the huge amount of money dedicated to this purpose and Australia is accelerating down the same tollway. Maximum spending limits must be applied to all elections. At present freedom of speech is only effectively available to the rich and those using other people’s money.
Matters Not,
In the US the way around limits is through Super PACs, but Lawrence Lessig is on the case. Lessig, a Harvard professor and campaign finance reform activist is buiding a super PAC’
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/5/2/a-super-pac-to-endallsuperpacs.html
Perhaps the ALP would sponsor a visit to Australia. Or perhaps Get Up.
Oh… oh… oh… hey wait a damn minute!!!
As Jolly McHockey Puck is fond of reminding us… “Nothing is free. Someone always pays…”
I strongly suspect that those donations from corporate Australia doesn’t fall from the skies… soooo… it perhaps, probably, maybe, possibly could come from this nation’s consumers. Riiight? Annnnd… those consumers are more than likely, ah, taxpayers!
Therrrrreforrre…. the taxpayer is already funding election campaigns… without getting a say on where the money ends up.
Which would meeeean that our darling Tony is, as usual, full of shit!!
Well, the revelations at ICAC today showing that Nathan Tinkler fully expected – even demanded – that he get his way from the NSW coalition for his coal loader is deeply troubling.
We need to limit the size of donations, perhaps along the lines of Canada and/or we need to have a dedicated website showing who is donating and how much.
I have no problem with banning roadside advertising and how to vote cards handed out at polling booths. Anyone who decides who to vote for from these sources doesn’t deserve a vote.There should also be a limit to spending for tv, radio and newspaper ads. The majority of these ads contain lies anyway, so they’re no great loss.
At my last state election, how to vote cards were placed in every booth at my local polling booth. This is a far more economical and environmentally friendly way to go if we really insist on having them.
Beg to disagree with the apparent underlying thinking. Certainly, taxpayers pay taxes (monies) to citizen elected governments. After paying their legislated obligations, ‘taxpayers’ have no special claims as to how the citizen elected government(s) decide(s) to allocate those legitimately derived revenues.
Taxpayers (those who pay) are not fundamental to the concept of democracy, and they should have no special consideration(s). Citizens (regardless of whether they pay or not) are at the heart of democracy.
To suggest otherwise, legitimises the notion that those who ‘pay’ more should ‘get’ more.
Put simply, the relationship between ‘citizenship’ and ‘taxpayer’ is (or should be) coincidental rather than causal. And our language should reflect that.
Perhaps?
G’day All,
I would’ve thought that since the state gives “license” to all Radio, TV, and Newspapers, the easiest thing to do was to incorporate into the licence the requirement to give equal time to all parties/independents in a period before the elections, say 6 weeks, i.e. let the proprietors wear the cost as part of their licensing requirements. There would be some details to work out (especially, but not only, the amount of time and placement (newspapers) and timing (e.g. prime time, late night for TV) but basically all are given equal time. As far as postal information goes, then again, it’s equal “time/cost” for post outs, this time born by the (currently) government postal service. But if a party has lots of volunteers to door knock, then that’s a free for all, must be volunteer though, no paid for door knockers.
Don’t worry about donations to political parties. What you are seeing now in Australia and the West generally, is the apotheosis of the old regime. The old Global Elite are desperately trying to hold back the march of history which will shortly consign them to the rubbish bin of history. The Abbott regime (I use the term regime rather than government as the latter has the air of legitimacy about it that the former hasn’t) is
the fullest expression of the Corporatist and bankster hegemony. It is like a full blown rose or a rich peach just before it starts to go bad. Hubris will be their undoing. The revolution has already begun in the USA though few people are aware of it. Isolated incidents there are starting to coalesce into a full scale rebellion
against the government and the hidden puppeteers. The Bundy farm issue where armed Militia are ready to contest the issue with the federal authority; the Oath-takers ,both in and outside the Military who declare their loyalty to the Constitution and not to the failing and corrupt regime; the calling of a Constitutional Convention by the States to rewrite the Constitution and possibly dismiss the present incumbents with their hangers-on. This is France in 1789 again with the calling of the Estates General which opened the door to revolution. It only requires a spark to unite the population in rebellion against a form of government that long since ceased to represent their needs and acts only for the international bankers and the trans national corporations. The FEMA camps already built to house political dissidents to the Elites plan for a New World Order, will instead house the bankers,the corporation bosses, the sold out political leaders, past and present.
So don’t worry too much about political donations because when the full extent of the crimes of the international bankers (the Global Elite; the Illuminati) become known, they and their minions (Abbott, Murdoch etc) will be swept away.
Rick5591.
rick5591, while I may or not may not ‘applaud’ your ‘sentiments’, can you supply a modicum of ‘evidence’?
Been there, done that.
But it’s great to see that ‘protest’ is alive and well.
Rick be careful what you wish for revolutions do not come without substantial costs and endemic suffering. Lets hope for a more manageable solution. History is not kind to revolutionaries who often become the new suppressors of freedom and justice.
Shades of Paulo Freire and his concept of “existential duality”? Just askin … ?
The most useless Prime Minister to date. Really does not know how to lead a Country and truly pathetic toward the Human race, especially those who are suffering such as the Senior Pensioners and Carer’s who know what hard work is all about.
Why doesn’t the Prime Minister do something useful such as step into the position of a Parent who has an Autistic Child for 3 Months. Many Carer’s are already aware that this is a Medical malfunction and the Government are the ones who will be blamed in the end because they have not provided the correct equipment for safe delivery of Babies instead of the use of forceps or vacuum extraction. Wake up and put your People first instead of worrying about the budget and how much more money you can milk from this Nation.
If there is a budget crisis, then it is the Government’s fault 100 percent because over several years dating back to our ancestors, that Government bank account was lined with their hard yakka and sweat. The Government are the ones that have abused that over the years and the People of this Nation should in no way be blamed for the incompetence.
There is constant unnecessary spending and the lurks and perks that come with being a Politician, yet the People of this nation are suffering greatly already and do not need your selfishness.
A true Politician or Leader of this Country would reduce their own wages to a more deserving pay, rather than taking away a few holiday trips. Big Deal.
People need to pay rent at a median of $350 per week, eat food for a Family of 4 at $250, pay Electricity, Gas, Telephone, Water, Internet for studies, University or Private College / Education, Medical Specialists and as an example ( 2 Specialists a Month for our Family costs $800 ), medication, clothing, shoes and more.
I therefore invite you to step forward into a Carer’s footsteps for a few Months with their wage, not your own wage, raise Disabled Children and deal with everything above.
I guarantee that you will not be able to accomplish everything on a Carer payment or the Family payment because they are always in debt borrowing money week to week and cannot survive as it is now.
Step forward to the challenge and please pass this on to Joe Hockey as well.
I would love to see you try.
Mars8
Just my personal reading of history. Solzhenitsyn’s “Gulag Archipelago” also Edgar Snow’s “Red China Today” and “Red Star over China” is enough to make you cringe at the idea of revolution. Plenty of others these happen to be particularly educational and frighteningly disturbing.
Have a background in Eastern non-duality also Kant’s antinomies however had a look at Paulo Freire. Interesting will read some more.
Matters Not it certainly matters that you are not mars8
Sorry got screwed up along the way. Bit of a Freudian slip that hey!
I agree Revolution is not something to be taken lightly but what alternative have we got when this government is attempting to close off all avenues for legitimate protest. I Marched on Sunday with 25,000 like minded people who don’t want anything more than to be able to work and feed their families and pay their bills. They want a future Australia for their children and their children’s children that they can be proud of. They don’t want Liberal Ideology shoved down our throats and they don’t want to be embarrassed to be Australian.
this is what and why we have to pay more taxes for
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-06/has-the-government-doubled-the-budget-deficit/5423392?section=australianetworknews
This is all very concerning. However, it is at the local government level that corporate donations do the most damage. No other level of government can so permanently alter our lifestyle through planning decisions. I should qualify that with the exception of mining an CSG licences. As local government is often populated by independents, we should not be just looking at the major parties.
Hockeynomics for gullible people. Joe tries to explain away his extra spending by saying it was stuff Labor SHOULD have spent money on when they were in office. If we use that logic Joe, you guys should have introduced education reform and the NDIS when we had money rolling in from the mining boom, and fibre when Telstra wanted to back in 2005, so in fact Labor inherited YOUR lack of provision of billions of dollars for services you SHOULD have spent our money on rather than tax breaks and middle class welfare.
Let me get this right Kaye Lee. Hockey, who for as long as I can remember, has been saying the previous government spent way too much, like drunken sailors, is now saying they didn’t spend enough.
Mo, a book could be written about Hockey’s hypocrisy. But instead of a book, a simple article in the mainstream media would suffice. But there’s more chance of a book being written that an article, sadly. 🙁
Mobius,
I just quote the guy. Trying to make sense of it is beyond me. But his assumption that I am innumerate, illiterate and gullible is REALLY annoying me. I have read his MYEFO document. He has blatantly manipulated figures. PEFO is the only document that is without political interference as it is brought out by Treasury and Finance. Anything after that is Joe’s doing. Saying Labor left a debt of $667 billion is the greatest load of bullshit I have ever heard. That was HIS projected debt for in TEN YEARS time including HIS spending and HIS policy decisions. It’s bleedin’ obvious to blind Freddy (as my mum would say) that we should keep the carbon tax and the mining tax and cut defence spending. Tony says it’s not new money for his fighter squadron. Well if defence have been able to squirrel away that much money when the country is in debt then we are giving them way too much money!!! They can wait till we can afford them not that we need them anyway. As if the big corporations will allow a war. The armament guys don’t need one when they can convince idiots like Abbott to buy planes just by letting him sit in one.
Matters Not.
Obviously to provide all the pieces of the jigsaw to get the whole picture re the Global Elite requires a hell of a lot of research which I have done over the last two years.It would need many pages of text which I can’t do here and probably wouldn’t satisfy you anyway. There is no substitute for doing your own research. But I do know that anyone who follows up the leads always ends up with the same conclusions as myself.The conclusions above are the benefits of a lot of work. May I respectfully suggest that you haven’t “been there or done that” at all,
Rick5591.
Stephen Tardrew.
As a student of History I am fully aware of the downside of revolutions but many revolutions are unavoidable and lead to a better society. The English revolution in the 17th century eventually led to more freedom which led to much greater prosperity and made England into the first Nation. The American Revolution led to increased freedom . Even the bloody French Revolution swept away feudalism and led to the French republic. The revolution coming in the USA (and the Western world as well) is unavoidable if the people decide they don’t want to live in slavery under the heel of a totalitarian Corporatist State. You pays your money and takes your choice.
Rick5591.
Rick,
We already have the power to keep the corporations in their place. All we need is some decent politicians to make and enforce the rules. We decide who gets elected. We also provide the labour without which capitalism cannot survive. people must not allow the corporations and their lackeys to demonise unions. If there is corruption then weed it out – we have the ability to do that – but we very much need the unions to be strong. I see promising signs from some areas of the church as well – they are very concerned about the attack on our most vulnerable. Information is the most potent ammunition we have. Show up their lies, expose their corruption, and elect courageous people who truly have the common good as their motivation rather than this crew who start as Young Liberals and never grow up.
Rick5591, you advised me to do my own research. I started with your statement:
I thought that seems a bit ‘unusual’ A quick search gave me this:
loopy bunch of conspiracy theorists. Dear oh dear. Then I found these ‘conspiracy theorists’ once included Michele Bachmann and Glen Beck.
At this point I walked slowly backwards, humming “Preppers of the world unite, you alone know what is right”
I could go on and give further details re FEMA camps, why they were built, purpose and the like but as you pointed out there is no substitute for doing your own research.
Cheers.
Rick:
Admitted but the human cots were substantial and we must do better than that in this epoch. Weapons available today and the techniques developed by terrorist make me cringe at any sort of substantial uprising. Syria for example. The problem is one of personality traits that are endemic within any population. We need to dampen fear based autonomic responses, hyper emotional religiosity and violent reactivity which can lead to dogmatism and undemocratic authoritarianism left and right. Promotion of compassion and empathy using substantial empirical evidence from biology and evolution can set the grounds for a more caring paradigm. Though we seem do be overburdened by conservative intolerance there are many working towards a more transparent and egalitarian society. It ain’t easy however if we do not change peoples emotional drives and habituated imperatives then we will eventually get more of the same. For all the revolutions billions still live in abject poverty and suffer intolerably. Furthermore the biosphere is in great danger.
We must work to alter the visceral balance between fight flight drives and pleasure pain dynamics to enhance pleasure and and happiness. Recently it has been demonstrated that morality is heritable so the seeds of compassion are biologically encapsulate. What we need to do is magnify our moral sense and dampen aggression, judgement, blame and retribution for a rational causal view of poverty and inequality. When asked most people simply want sustainable lives with reasonable income blessed by loving friends and acquaintances. It is time to challenge gross inequality head on and work towards a more balanced distribution of wealth. We are in an epoch of accelerated change in technology and, given the right focus, we will be able to piratically solve many of the problems of poverty and inequality.
Kaye’s post above is an indication of how we can proceed without chef-destructive turmoil.
Kaye Lee Hi.
This is where the research comes in.It is not isolated cases of corruption at all. The whole financial structure of the West is really under the control of the Rothchild banking entities and have been for most of the last two centuries, but with a vengeance since WW11. The Rothchild banks actually control the politics of the countries they inhabit. Rothchild Zionists set up and control Israel.(The Zionists are their equivalent of the CIA and NSA in the US) The Jewish people are as much victims of the Zionists as any other race .
All the banks including the Federal Reserve of the US are controlled by the Rothchilds.The US is the bully boy arm of the Rothchilds. Any Nation where the Rothchild banks are kept out and that has its own banking system and prints its own money with no interest payments to the Rothchilds is targeted for take-over by the US. Libya, Irag are recent examples with an attempt upon Syria which is being blocked by Russia.
The Australian Reserve Bank is effectively owned by foreign banking corporations (Rothchild banks) They create money out of thin air loan it to our banks and for the privilege we have to pay them interest. When that interest gets too much to pay back we have to pay interest on the interest. This process continues in every Rothchild controlled nation until they go broke ; ie, Iceland, Ireland, Greece etc. The first two countries woke up and prosecuted Rothchild bankers in their own nation and kicked out the Rothchild banks. Iceland went from bankruptcy to prosperity almost overnight. The tide may be turning in that those two countries have not been invaded yet. Probably in developed Western countries it is easier to destabilize the government and bring in a far -right party who lets the Rothchild banks back. The Whitlam Government was undermined by the CIA because they dared to go elsewhere to to get loans to finance their programme (The Khemlani Affair).
I could go on but I have things I have to do. But don’t take my word for this, put Rothchild into Google and follow the leads,
Cheers,
Rick5591.
It is the spend that needs to be capped at much lower levels than now – it is the only way to make donation receipts of lesser importance.
My view is that the need for such high amounts to spend on elections is a combo for the election advertising arms race and bribery of media owners. My guess would be that at least 70 million went on TV advertising in the last election – completely pointlessly. It cant be other than a bribe to keep them on side.
Matters Not.
The Fema Camps. None of the isolated pieces of information make sense in themselves. The total picture can only be gained by connecting the dots yourself.That takes work and time. if you don’t want to do that you have two options; 1. take others research on trust and there are stacks of others now OR 2. dismiss it all as Conpiracy Theory rubbish and then go happliy back to watching “Australia has Talent” on the box.
Cheers,
Rick5591.
Rick, there are always many more options than two. As for the two options you provided, I find them both risible. Any further suggestions? (Just jokin … ).
I agree, you do have things you have to do. But we probably disagree on what those things ought to be.
Rick sorry about flubs in a hurry to go.
Kaye Lee
That Hockey has begun using the “Labor left a debt of $667 billion” B/S so early in the term is either an insult for the public or simply that once a person begins to lie they result in confusing themselves.
Or both.
Whatever, if Bill Shorten isn’t keeping up with the switch and bait tactics – perhaps he could consider stepping aside for someone who can both elucidate and look like they are enthusiastic about their job.
The lies just keep coming.
“When Hockey pre-announced his attack on old-age pensioners he started from the position that the number of Australians between 65 and 84 would “quadruple” by 2050. But on the ABS’s high-growth projection there will be 2½ times as many people in this age group by 2050 than there were in 2010. For a politician, exaggerating a problem by only 60 per cent probably feels like telling the truth.”
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/no-financial-crisis-in-australia-just-joe-hockey-starting-a-class-war-20140429-zr0u7.html#ixzz30Lnn6fJv
Liberal mentality…don’t declare it until they look like catching you, then pay it back if you have to
“The Liberal Party of NSW last month declared a four-year-old donation of $25,000 from the Warringah Club, a fundraising entity associated with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as well as amending its most recent returns to declare more than $100,000 in political donations including in-kind support to Joe Hockey’s Federal Electoral Committee.
The amended returns were received by the Australian Electoral Commission on April 5, 2014, as the Independent Commission Against Corruption was preparing to begin public hearings into political donations channelled to a company associated with a staff member in the office of Terrigal MP Chris Hartcher, uncovered during Operation Spicer.”
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/missing-liberal-donations-declared-four-years-later-20140505-zr515.html#ixzz30tWGjFKd
This should go over well. Not only are we turning the boats back, we are giving them extra passengers to take back with them.
“The asylum seeker boat that allegedly deterred Tony Abbott from meeting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this week has been found in Indonesia after the Australian navy reportedly put three extra people on board and then turned it back.
People on board the wooden boat have told authorities in Indonesia that the Australian navy loaded two Albanians and one Indonesian onto the boat before sending it back to a remote island in eastern Indonesia.”
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australian-navy-turns-back-asylum-seeker-boat-to-indonesia-after-loading-three-extra-people-20140506-zr55k.html#ixzz30scxLWMf
@ Kaye Lee
What? Abbott didn’t Stop The Boats?
Well knock me over with a feather!?!
Quote: “In the UK, paid political advertising is banned and this extends to lobby groups. When it comes to election time they are all given free air time.
“Political adverts are – and have always been – banned on British TV and radio. That ban has wide support and has helped sustain the balance of views which is at the heart of British broadcasting – and ensures the political views broadcast into our homes are not determined by those with the deepest pockets:” Unquote …
Australia should adopt the same rules that the UK has instituted … Then corruption of this form will not prevail … It would save our nation millions of dollars in pursuit of anti-corruption inquiries …
Who needs an inquiry into unions while this stuff is going on. It demonstrates hilarious incompetence by this mob. The mask is falling; the grin is fading; the sweat is dripping; the bike ridding is tortuous; the truth is showing and the con is slipping. The boys are panicking, the numbers are down, and no matter what happens “the lie has been spoken.”
Kaye if you pooled all of the major points in your articles together over the last few months there would be a mountain of material to shove in the LNP’s face. Come on shorten don’t be lazy wishing and hoping for failure now is the time for full frontal attack. The gun is loaded and the bullets are bursting to get out of the breach.
Even if the budget is not as bad focusing upon the Commission of Audit as the LNP wish list for future change will be more than enough to scare the hell out of most Australians. It is a thing of beauty that these liars and connivers cold so successfully screw up so soon. The polls are down the mud is sticking and a well targeted attack would end any hope of recovery.
The fear is that Labor is not prepared for such a gift this early in Abbott’s term however they need to get in top gear and make some substantial moves. They must do an Abbott and day by day remind the public of the lies and deception about taxes and the big bad nasty debt the LNP doubled. Mr Negative Rabbit and Mr Angry sweaty man have doused themselves in so much negativity they have lost control of the monster they hoped to ride to the next election.
But do Labor have the balls?
“We own a National broadcaster. Why can’t we give political parties time on the ABC to plead their case during the election?”
We would have to drag Amanda Vanstone away from the microphone first. Amanda’s Liberal Party and Audit Commission Show.
Stephen Tardrew,
“Do Labor have the balls?”
No. Do they have the balls to turn the spotlight back onto Murdoch? No.
Paul Keating , where are you? Your country needs you!
Rick9991.
We try to do everything else the English people do, like worship the Royals and go ga-ga over George, as well as Abbott reintroducing Dames and Sirs … why not follow them with regard to the free Policy presentation on the National broadcaster. Ban it from the commercials!!!
.
Does anyone know what James received in return? This fellow doesn’t gamble, he plays for keeps.
Is he a developer? Will he be called before ICAC?
Probably not because the funds probably didn’t come directly from him. There’s always ways and means.
I’m sure one of their pre-election promises was to ban these types of donations (or something like that…) I wrote it down somewhere, I’m sure!
The casino at Barangaroo comes to mind
I hadn’t thought about that. Would that casino be to ne that will rely on international visitors? A new business model?
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/james-packers-barangaroo-investors-face-longest-odds-20140410-36em8.html#ixzz30uvBAht6
They always say that poker machines aren’t part of the plan. I’ll wager that it has spaces for poker machines in the design.
So putting it all together….
We ban political advertising
We limit election spending to something low.
We give each party free airtime on the ABC
Each electorate has a website where the candidates put a bio and a statement of policy together on one page – preferably allowing questions and answers. A debate where the people ask the questions and the candidates have time to consider their answers.
On polling day, one how to vote leaflet from each candidate is placed in each booth attached to the wall. Save on paper and volunteer time.
And elected representatives will not sell admission to their offices.
Oh and please….no more factory photo shoots.
And candidates have to declare their religious beliefs and affiliations.
The NSW Greens have a better solution and that is all political donations are limited to about $2,000 per individual and $5,000 per business and they refuse all donations from unethical corporations and developers, I propose all political parties do something like that.
Furthermore;
this continuous waffle about small government? – does not mean less politicians, it means less people employed to ensure policies are implemented appropriately.
Who hasn’t wasted considerable time trying to contact a public servant? Or the required officer to handle a request?
The proposed sacking of 15,000 public servants will not save money, it will affect 15,000 families, add to dole queues and further reduce service to we, the public.
Matters Not
May 6, 2014 • 5:13 pm
Yes indeed, MN. Looks like you were right on the money with that statement!!
QUOTE:
Unpublished plans for the Barangaroo site show planned buildings have more than doubled in size since the original design brief was issued, prompting the City of Sydney to call for fresh public input into the controversial development.
Two modifications, proposed but not yet public, takes the floor space to 681,000 square metres.
The council has also accused the state government of having a very serious conflict of interest…
http://www.theage.com.au/nsw/barangaroo-building-plans-double-in-size-20140506-zr59y.html
All types of political donations must be banned … The ABC should be the only means that political parties to campaign their promises as it is already funded by the taxpayer. It’s a much better system that will have no bias towards or against the candidates running in an election … Adapt the UK system and rorting of donations will disappear completely … There is no other way …
Oi!! Who let the money lenders into the temple?
I thought the god botherers were strongly opposed to debt?