LET’S STAMP IT OUT
DO YOU donate? If you do, who or what do you deem as being worthy of your hard- earned?
Volunteers shaking tins for great causes, like Defence, Surf Lifesavers and the RSL? Or maybe you donate online to support charities, animal welfare organisations or community groups; these causes rely on our generosity to survive.
But what about political parties? The only kind of party I’d be inclined to support are parties of a different kind, ones with live music, finger food and an open bar; but clearly, businesses think somewhat differently.
Just this week council declared a perceived “conflict of interest” arose regarding a development company that had donated to the Team Hill election campaign, handballing the DoubleTree Hotel project to the unelected council CEO for approval.
And while no one could have predicted that Team Hill would be elected with a 100 per cent majority, this means the entire council has been rendered unable to pilot applications through the usual processes if a political donation is involved.
Another major project, The Hive, experienced opposition to plans that required demolition of the Criterion Hotel, yet donations to Team Hill by the developer meant approval was once again left to the CEO.
Last October the $ 18.5 million Adani airport deal was another large- scale project declared as a perceived conflict of interest for council after a construction company involved was named as a Team Hill donor.
This wordy extract from the council meeting minutes authorised the CEO to once again approve the project.
It reads: “that council note the update supplied in closed session and authorise the Chief Executive Officer to complete and execute all applicable transaction documents with proponents regarding the economic activation opportunities discussed in closed session at this meeting and to take the necessary steps to establish a special purpose vehicle as discussed in closed session at the Special Council Meeting held on 10 July 2017; and
3. that funding for the special purpose vehicle be capped at no more than $ 18,500,000 in 2017/ 18 and 2018/ 19 financial years.”
While I am in no way suggesting developer donations are a trade- off for preferential treatment, I do suggest the present situation is not a good look.
Removing developers from the election equation would not only ensure the playing field is level, it would help reassure an increasingly cynical public.
Last year’s report into local government by the Crime and Corruption Commission resulted in 31 recommendations, the most telling was that property developers should be banned from donating to local council candidates.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk not only endorsed the CCC’s 31 recommendations, she also extended the proposed ban to include donations to state politicians, promising to make the new legislation retrospective and introduce it in the first six months of 2018. So far, nothing.
While critics argue that trade unions and businesses should also be included in the ban, the Premier is stalling, saying reintroducing the Bill to Parliament “wasn’t the number one priority for her government”.
With recent opinion polls revealing politicians are increasingly thought of as “untrustworthy” by voters, perhaps, Premier Palaszczuk, it should be.