High Court decision must pave the way for further donations reform

MEDIA RELEASE - October 7, 2015
The High Court of Australia has found that NSW laws which ban specific classes of political donors are constitutionally valid. NSW laws currently ban alcohol, tobacco, gambling and developer interests from making political donations.

The Court also upheld NSW laws which apply caps on the amount of political donations.

“Elections should be about the contest of ideas, not the contest of cash. Whether it is cash in a brown paper bag or buying a table at a fundraising event the community needs to be sure that politicians aren’t being bought.” said Greens NSW anti-corruption spokesperson Jamie Parker MP.

“This ruling fatally undermines opposition by political parties in other states and federally who have used the pending High Court case to avoid implementing laws to restrict political donations. Other states and the federal government should now act to reduce the corrosive influence of political donations by introducing caps and restricting developer donations in particular.”

“These bans should also be extended to the mining sector where the potential for corruption has been exposed by the ICAC. These laws must also be applied to local government where unlimited political donations are currently allowed.”

“This ruling also clears the way for the ICAC to finalise their investigations Credo and Spicer.”

“This is an enormous boost for efforts to clean up corruption and influence peddling in NSW and Australia” said Greens NSW anti-corruption spokesperson, Jamie Parker MP.

ENDS

For further information please contact Jamie Parker, Member for Balmain 9660 7586

Read more in the Sydney Morning Herald
Read more about Jamie's anti-corruption work

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@GreensJamieP tweeted this page. 2015-10-07 13:25:56 +1100
Elections should be about the contest of ideas, not the contest of cash. http://www.jamieparker.org/high_court_decision_paves_way_for_donations_reform?recruiter_id=74048
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