Saturday, November 30, 2013 12:17:21 AM
Edit: Could be, guessing not a real biggie in the end, or the union guys wouldn't have sent it straight to the watchdog .. it isn't good though .. on political donations in Australia .. NOONE (at least publicly) wants the Citizen's United result here, but the Australian conservative 'Liberals' (coalition with the National party) are trying to make hay again now they are back in power ..
Unions challenge rules on donations
State Politics Editor Date November 3, 2013
EXCLUSIVE
"Banning donations from community organisations, unions, disability advocacy groups and peak
bodies will lock average Australians out of our political system": John Robertson. Photo: Peter Rae
Political donations by corporations are a form of freedom of expression that need protection, unions will argue in the High Court this week.
In a test case that appears to upturn class warfare battle lines, Unions NSW wants to strike out NSW election funding reforms that ban companies and unions from donating to political campaigns.
The union case will rely on US Supreme Court rulings that reject suggestions the political speech of corporations be treated differently from that of individuals, documents that were filed before the hearing on Tuesday show.
"The ultimate goal is to drive money out of
politics": John Kaye. Photo: Dean Osland
The wealth of corporations is irrelevant, the unions will argue.
''It is difficult to see why the fact the donor is a corporation or other association has any bearing whatsoever on the potential for that donation to give rise to the risk of undue, corrupt or hidden influence,'' the union case says.
The Labor Party in NSW will lose 98 per cent of its donors under the law, which was passed last year by the O'Farrell government, compared with 75 per cent of donors for the Liberal Party.
The NSW government has been joined in defending the case by the federal Attorney-General George Brandis, who will argue the US has a different approach to political donations from Australia's ''egalitarian'' system, because Australia has accepted caps to level the playing field.
Amid suggestions the case by Unions NSW and five other unions will undermine NSW Labor's reform push, NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson has backed the High Court challenge.
"These laws will Americanise politics in this state, ensuring only independent wealthy people can participate in the political process,'' he said. "Banning donations from community organisations, unions, disability advocacy groups and peak bodies will lock average Australians out of our political system.''
In addition to a ban on donations by anyone who is not on the electoral roll, the law also counts the money an affiliated union spends on political advertising within Labor's overall spending cap.
Labor faces a cap of $8.8 million at the 2015 election, while its 21 affiliated unions have a combined cap of $22 million. If the unions spend 40 per cent of their cap, Labor can't spend anything.
Labor Senator and former Labor NSW general secretary Sam Dastyari said the O'Farrell reforms were ''nothing more than an attack on the structure of the Labor Party. It was about trying to weaken the role of the union movement as a political campaigning entity''.
But Greens MP John Kaye said the reforms were a step towards democratising politics, and the High Court case risked allowing all big corporate donors back in, including property developers.
''The ultimate goal is to drive money out of politics. What is at stake is not just union affiliation fees, but tobacco, alcohol, gambling cash, all of which had a profoundly corrupting influence in NSW.''
The NSW government says corporate and union donations will be replaced by public funding.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/unions-challenge-rules-on-donations-20131102-2wtf8.html
yeah .. Ford .. lol .. and Radel, had forgotten him .. we have this one going ..
Health Services Union expenses affair
This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2012)
The Health Services Union expenses affair is an Australian political scandal concerning allegations by Fair Work Australia that various senior officials used funds of the Health Services Union (HSU) to pay for personal expenses.[1][2]
As of October 2012 former HSU National Secretary Craig Thomson had civil proceedings started against him, and Michael Williamson, former HSU National President, had been charged with offences relating to fraud and obstruction of justice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Services_Union_expenses_affair
.. nothing like the Canadian's 'off-'s face Ford', but Australia as expected, has it's share ..
List of Australian politicians convicted of crimes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_politicians_convicted_of_crimes
=== .. just in time late thought ..
High Court reserves decision over NSW election donation rules
By Elizabeth Byrne
Updated Wed 6 Nov 2013, 8:42pm AEDT
The High Court has reserved its decision in a challenge by New South Wales unions over new election donation rules.
The new laws effectively ban unions from giving donations to the Labor Party by requiring that only individual members of the electoral roll are entitled to give money to political parties for state election campaigning.
The unions have told the High Court that that limits political communication and inhibits political expression, which is at odds with the implied right to such freedoms in the constitution.
But the NSW Government says the rights apply to electors in relation to a federal election or referendum rather than a state law governing political donations for a state election.
Yesterday, counsel for the unions Brett Walker SC told the court donations are a political communication.
He argued that those who are not on the New South Wales electoral roll such as people under 18, permanent residents, and individuals from interstate are prevented by the laws from politically expressing themselves.
But NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton SC told the court that the Commonwealth-implied right of political communication did not apply in the state realm and there was no equivalent right under the NSW constitution.
Premier Barry O'Farrell says he is confident his donations laws will not be overturned.
The Commonwealth joined Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia to intervene in the case.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-06/high-court-reserves-decision-over-election-donation-rules/5074664
.. made it by a 1 min. whisker ..
Unions challenge rules on donations
State Politics Editor Date November 3, 2013
EXCLUSIVE
"Banning donations from community organisations, unions, disability advocacy groups and peak
bodies will lock average Australians out of our political system": John Robertson. Photo: Peter Rae
Political donations by corporations are a form of freedom of expression that need protection, unions will argue in the High Court this week.
In a test case that appears to upturn class warfare battle lines, Unions NSW wants to strike out NSW election funding reforms that ban companies and unions from donating to political campaigns.
The union case will rely on US Supreme Court rulings that reject suggestions the political speech of corporations be treated differently from that of individuals, documents that were filed before the hearing on Tuesday show.
"The ultimate goal is to drive money out of
politics": John Kaye. Photo: Dean Osland
The wealth of corporations is irrelevant, the unions will argue.
''It is difficult to see why the fact the donor is a corporation or other association has any bearing whatsoever on the potential for that donation to give rise to the risk of undue, corrupt or hidden influence,'' the union case says.
The Labor Party in NSW will lose 98 per cent of its donors under the law, which was passed last year by the O'Farrell government, compared with 75 per cent of donors for the Liberal Party.
The NSW government has been joined in defending the case by the federal Attorney-General George Brandis, who will argue the US has a different approach to political donations from Australia's ''egalitarian'' system, because Australia has accepted caps to level the playing field.
Amid suggestions the case by Unions NSW and five other unions will undermine NSW Labor's reform push, NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson has backed the High Court challenge.
"These laws will Americanise politics in this state, ensuring only independent wealthy people can participate in the political process,'' he said. "Banning donations from community organisations, unions, disability advocacy groups and peak bodies will lock average Australians out of our political system.''
In addition to a ban on donations by anyone who is not on the electoral roll, the law also counts the money an affiliated union spends on political advertising within Labor's overall spending cap.
Labor faces a cap of $8.8 million at the 2015 election, while its 21 affiliated unions have a combined cap of $22 million. If the unions spend 40 per cent of their cap, Labor can't spend anything.
Labor Senator and former Labor NSW general secretary Sam Dastyari said the O'Farrell reforms were ''nothing more than an attack on the structure of the Labor Party. It was about trying to weaken the role of the union movement as a political campaigning entity''.
But Greens MP John Kaye said the reforms were a step towards democratising politics, and the High Court case risked allowing all big corporate donors back in, including property developers.
''The ultimate goal is to drive money out of politics. What is at stake is not just union affiliation fees, but tobacco, alcohol, gambling cash, all of which had a profoundly corrupting influence in NSW.''
The NSW government says corporate and union donations will be replaced by public funding.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/unions-challenge-rules-on-donations-20131102-2wtf8.html
yeah .. Ford .. lol .. and Radel, had forgotten him .. we have this one going ..
Health Services Union expenses affair
This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2012) The Health Services Union expenses affair is an Australian political scandal concerning allegations by Fair Work Australia that various senior officials used funds of the Health Services Union (HSU) to pay for personal expenses.[1][2]
As of October 2012 former HSU National Secretary Craig Thomson had civil proceedings started against him, and Michael Williamson, former HSU National President, had been charged with offences relating to fraud and obstruction of justice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Services_Union_expenses_affair
.. nothing like the Canadian's 'off-'s face Ford', but Australia as expected, has it's share ..
List of Australian politicians convicted of crimes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_politicians_convicted_of_crimes
=== .. just in time late thought ..
High Court reserves decision over NSW election donation rules
By Elizabeth Byrne
Updated Wed 6 Nov 2013, 8:42pm AEDT
The High Court has reserved its decision in a challenge by New South Wales unions over new election donation rules.
The new laws effectively ban unions from giving donations to the Labor Party by requiring that only individual members of the electoral roll are entitled to give money to political parties for state election campaigning.
The unions have told the High Court that that limits political communication and inhibits political expression, which is at odds with the implied right to such freedoms in the constitution.
But the NSW Government says the rights apply to electors in relation to a federal election or referendum rather than a state law governing political donations for a state election.
Yesterday, counsel for the unions Brett Walker SC told the court donations are a political communication.
He argued that those who are not on the New South Wales electoral roll such as people under 18, permanent residents, and individuals from interstate are prevented by the laws from politically expressing themselves.
But NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton SC told the court that the Commonwealth-implied right of political communication did not apply in the state realm and there was no equivalent right under the NSW constitution.
Premier Barry O'Farrell says he is confident his donations laws will not be overturned.
The Commonwealth joined Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia to intervene in the case.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-06/high-court-reserves-decision-over-election-donation-rules/5074664
.. made it by a 1 min. whisker ..
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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