Democracy is underpinned (officially) by the value of 'equal opportunity and equal representation' so I find it difficult to agree that democratic process is best served by the giving of money to selected political parties, in order to influence, to gain access to or to partially support political decision-makers.

If businesses give money to just some preferred political parties as selected 'donations', these are ill-disguised bribes and the practice should be banned by Australian law.

Gaming industry money has been used to 'stroke' governments for long enough. Tax-paying citizens have borne the social and economic on-costs of poker machines for long enough. The gaming industry has caused government to act irresponsibly, by ignoring public wish for long enough. Too often government has over-protected the giant gaming industry by ignoring legalities, such as our consumer trade laws. All citizens will still be paying the pokies costs, long after the current government representatives have retired....on higher superannuation payouts nevertheless....because they worked in league with this powerful industry. 'Donations' that pervert the course of democracy like this are simply CROOK!

Businesses could more fairly contribute to a 'communal party platform bank' if they genuinely feel inclined to influence the political process in a spirit of 'community partnership'. For example, gifted money via all businesses could be pooled and divided up pro rata, between all parties and individuals depending upon their support levels in the election just past.I bet that the AHA would hate doing THAT! It is WAY too fair!

“Donations to political parties distort the entire political process in Australia.”

Well…..of course they do.

Why would anyone give a donation? To win favours. And if they fail to win favours, they stop donating. It’s as simple as that.

So those that can afford to give big donations are those that win big favours. And that leads directly to a very strong bias towards aggressive businesses that are ruled by the short-term maximised profit motive.

A fundamental principle of our democratic system should be the complete elimination of donations and the funding of political parties from consolidated revenue. That is, from the tax base. They simply must be funded from a neutral source, in order to eliminate all implications of bias.

It befuddles me completely as to why our society tolerates political donations…. which really are nothing less than blatant bloody bribes!

The implications of this regime of political donations are enormous. In fact so enormous as to strongly undermine the very foundations of democracy.

The makers of VB should be contributing millions to aboriginal services because they have made so much money out of aborigines over the years.

Tldr but i will definately say this. You really have to look at the state of the US. The political system is absolutely crippled/corrupted by this.

I found a couple of articles about it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/10/AR2006031002425.html

"Michael E. Toner, the chairman of the Federal Election Commission, has some friendly advice for presidential candidates who plan to be taken seriously by the time nominating contests start in early 2008: Bring your wallet.
"There is a growing sense that there is going to be a $100 million entry fee at the end of 2007 to be considered a serious candidate," Toner said in a recent interview."

http://www.nhinsider.com/nhigb/2007/5/11/2008-a-historic-election.html

"Look at what’s already happening a year and a half early. Candidates’ campaigns for President have already spent over $150 million during the first quarter of this year – over 1&1/2 years in advance of the ’08 elections! So, we’re looking at a race for President that’s already excessive – off the scale in terms of both time and money.

As long as big money dominates campaigns, people won’t count for much except as voters and consumers of media campaign buys. Candidates are caught up in a financial arms race. No one has yet had the guts to say “enough” -- not even one of the authors of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation"

Steel, if it's something you're interested in, go to www.corpwatch.org and key 'campaign donations' into the search box.

The US has shown us where this road leads, yet we're following it anyway. That really scares me.

ludwig (and many others), there's no "we, the people" in the australian constitution.

why are you unwilling to refer to oz as a 'parliamentary society'?

perhaps if you did, you would have to admit the processes of our society give little concern to the public good, simply because parliament was designed by the magnates of society for their own good.

on the other hand,if you assume democracy, nothing needs to be done, except whinge.

i've been thru 5 cycles of government now, with accompanying public attitudes of disgust, hope, disillusion, and disgust again. it seems to me everyone should have noticed by now that pollie rule is just getting us ever deeper into resource depletion, atmospheric pollution,over population, and possible racial suicide from global warming.

i am pretty sure that humanity is too dumb to survive the challenges ahead without massive convulsions- economic, military,and political. i am even more sure that relying on governments to provide leadership simply ignores history.