Further revelations about the Iemma Government’s political fundraising highlighted the urgent need for reform of the State donations laws to restore integrity and confidence in public administration, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today. 

“Morris Iemma and his Ministers have taken fundraising to a new, unwelcome level in NSW,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“Between 2004 and 2007, the Iemma Government received $1 million every two months from these types of donations,” he said.

“It is little wonder that public confidence in government is at an all time low and so many people are concerned about the link between donations and decision-making by the Iemma Government.

“There’s too much money involved in NSW politics and reform is needed to put the public, not vested interests, at the centre of government.

“That’s why I argued for the parliamentary inquiry into electoral and political party funding which gets underway this month.

“It’s why I’ve proposed imposing limits on how much candidates and parties can spend during election campaigns.”

Mr O’Farrell said if you restrict the amounts that can be spent, then you remove the need to raise such large amounts through donations.

“Without reform and with Labor spending $16.7 million on its last State campaign, the Iemma Government’s voracious appetite for donations will continue,” he said.

“Reforms are needed to restore integrity and confidence in public administration.

“The Iemma Government’s lack of transparency in decision making is dangerous and so is its repeated centralisation of powers into the hands of its Ministers.

“Whether it’s Morris Iemma's reversal of the State's long held opposition to Internet betting or Frank Sartor's all too frequent interventions in development matters, the public's perception is of a 'wheeling and dealing' government.

Download Limits ALP Donations HERE (PDF 41.9KB)
Download Limits ALP Expenditure HERE (PDF 344KB)

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