Greens MLC Mark Parnell has called on all political parties and candidates standing at the 2010 state election to publicly reveal before Election Day who is paying for their campaigns.

The SA Greens have published online a list of all donors (over $1,500) to the party over the last 12 months, and will update this list right up until the day before the state election.

“South Australian voters have a right to know who is paying the bills for each party’s election campaign,” said Greens MLC Mark Parnell.

“Yet under the current rules we don’t find out who has given what money to federally registered parties until February next year - and in the case of state registered parties and independents we never find out. (more…)

Figures released today of jobs allegedly created as a result of approvals under Part 3A of the Planning Act may have been significantly inflated by double counting, according to Greens spokesperson for Planning, Sylvia Hale, MLC.

“The table for the period 8 September 2008 – 31 January 2009 (sic — presumably meant to be to 31 January 2010) states that a total of 36,589 construction jobs have been created, and 41,712 operational jobs, totalling 78,301 in all,” says Ms Hale.

“Of these 78,301 jobs, 13,013 construction jobs and 10,671 operational jobs resulted from approval of concept plans, that is, a total of 23,640 jobs.

“But concept plans in themselves do not result in any jobs for anyone other than those who draw the plans up. Before one brick can be laid or one operational job activated, concepts plans, which provide only a broad overview of a project, are translated into project applications, which, if approved, may then lead to the creation of construction and operational jobs. (more…)

The Greens have criticised the narrow scope of the ICAC investigation into the circumstances surrounding the allegations contained in the McGurk tape.

“The inquiry has been a narrow exercise that examines a recorded conversation between a dead lender of last resort and a property developer,” said Sylvia Hale MLC, Greens Spokesperson for Planning.

“What it has failed to examine is the corrupting potential of political donations and access to senior government figures by developers and their lobbyists. (more…)

Greens spokesperson for Planning, Sylvia Hale MLC, today expressed her disappointment at the ICAC’s refusal to investigate the murky dealings
surrounding the sale of the Unions NSW Pittwater retreat at Currawong.

“In September 2005 the Minister for Lands, Tony Kelly, made an unconditional offer of $12.5 million to Unions NSW to buy the Currawong site and add it to the adjoining Ku-ring-gai National Park,” said Ms Hale.

“The then Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor, and Minister Kelly, were reported to favour the purchase but it was strongly opposed by Michael Costa, the Treasurer at the time. In November 2005 the government’s offer was withdrawn. (more…)

The Labor Government’s announcement overnight that it would in effect sell significant Sydney Harbour properties by leasing them for 99 years to private owners will frustrate any ability to strategically plan for Sydney Cove, The Rocks and Darling Harbour, says The Greens NSW.

“Auctioning off publicly owned assets on 99 year leases conditions the public to forget that the land and buildings around our harbour were ever owned by the people of NSW,” said Sylvia Hale MLC, Greens spokesperson for Planning and Lands.

“It also frustrates any attempt to use these places in the public interest in years to come. (more…)

The Keneally government and Hunter Water are hiding the risk that Tillegra dam could double in cost because of the site’s complex geological features, with appalling consequences for the state’s borrowings and household water bills, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Commenting on a story on page 2 of today’s Sydney Morning Herald (’Tillegra dam costs could soar to $1b’ http://tinyurl.com/smh100114), Dr Kaye said: “The Department of Planning has been warned by the state’s leading community environment legal practice that Hunter Water’s environment report is defective and does not conform to the government’s own planning legislation.

“Hunter Water and the NSW government have failed in their duty to properly analyse the geological features of the site and to be open and honest with the community. (more…)

The crisis in Australia’s electoral funding and disclosure system is set to worsen now that the Rudd government has abandoned passing reform legislation before the next election, predicted NSW Greens MP and donations spokesperson Lee Rhiannon today. (http://bit.ly/8wDOLf)

“Labor’s betrayal on campaign finance reform will only amplify the political donation crisis that is undermining Australian politics,” said Ms Rhiannon.

“Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig has failed to follow through on the clear commitment of his predecessor John Faulkner that the reforms would be passed before the coming federal election.

“The public is deeply concerned about the corrupting influence that corporate donations have had on our system of democracy, and they expect change. (more…)

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon has challenged opposition leader Tony Abbott to declare his position on the reform of political donations, following his appearance today at the Liberal party’s Millennium Forum fundraiser held in Sydney.

“Tony Abbott’s appearance at the Millennium Forum today raises questions about his willingness to clean up the Liberal Party’s fundraising culture,” said Ms Rhiannon.

“I challenge Tony Abbott to declare his position on banning donations and his commitment to reforming both federal and state funding and disclosure laws. (more…)

Former Labor Party Senator Graham Richardson has won this year’s Golden Toaster at The Greens Bad Developer awards night.

The Golden Toaster, named after the notorious Toaster development at Circular Quay, is annually awarded to someone who has made a conspicuous contribution to development in NSW. Mr Richardson beat off strong challenges from the Medich brothers and from the largest political donor in NSW, Bob Rose.

“Mr Richardson impressed the judges with his keenness to maintain his involvement in planning decisions, despite having no particular qualifications in this field,” said Sylvia Hale, NSW Greens MP and spokesperson for Planning. (more…)

NSW Greens MP and donations spokesperson Lee Rhiannon today congratulated her South Australian Greens colleague Mark Parnell MLC for launching the South Australian section of the Democracy4sale.org donations website, and foreshadowed that more states will be added to the Greens donations database in the near future.

“I am thrilled to welcome the South Australian Greens to the Democracy4sale.org campaign website that exposes the corrupting influence of corporate donations on our democracy,” said Ms Rhiannon.

“The Greens donations research project commenced in 2002 in NSW to lift the lid on donations, and the campaign’s success has helped make donations a hot national issue.

“The SA donations are sourced from political party disclosures to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and sorted into industry donor categories to see which industries are buying influence with the major parties. (more…)