New donation laws: How our political parties want to line their pockets with our money
This Bill has been passed already by the Legislative Assembly and is scheduled to be debated by the Legislative Council next week.
If the Bill is passed, taxpayers will do what politicians ought to do themselves: finance the campaigns for them to keep their jobs, get a job or get a better job.
The major parties have cooked up a scheme which will significantly increase the amount they will get for every vote, to $6 in the lower house and $3 in the upper house. This will result in millions of your dollars flowing into their coffers, and those of the Greens. Small parties and independents get barely a few crumbs off the table.
However Labor is claiming that these crumbs will be enough to get the support of enough independents for them to get the legislation passed.
Needless to say, little has been said publicly about this Sheriff-of-Nottingham style raid on your money.
The fact that this Bill is being snuck through the parliament five months before the election suggests that the major parties are so on the nose, that they do not believe that in future, they will be able to raise the money they want to finance their campaigns in Victoria.
To add insult to this injury, the legislation will also make it almost impossible for any voluntary association, the sole source of income of which is membership fees, to engage in political activity to promote and protect the interests of its members.
It is only five months until the next election. We all need to make sure we know who supports this latest attempt to dip into our pockets, while limiting the rights of others to engage in the political process.
We shall keep you informed on the progress of this legislation and tell you who voted for raiding the taxpayers’ purse, and who did not.