<< If I donate to a charity or organization, it is because I want them to continue and expand what they are doing. >>

EXACTLY SM! You’re not donating for no reason! Same goes for big business and unions.

Hey, if everyone had the equal ability to donate… or to influence government in other ways…. then it would be ok and truly democratic.

But of course, we have a very highly skewed playing field. So it would be best if we did away with donations altogether.

Or, only allow very small donations. But we’d have to make sure that this didn’t get abused by big business, whereby they gift thousands of people each say $5100, on the basis that they then donate $5000 to a certain political party, or other corruptions of that sort.

<< Whether I donate money, time or materiel it is all the same. >>

They are perhaps similar but not the same. Big donations I imagine would be particularly good at swaying government decisions.

But yes, even if we were to do away entirely with donations, there would still be a very unlevel playing field in the manner in different interests could lobby and influence government.

Going to a donation-free regime would only be the start of any true attempt to make government more independent and better-representative of majority interests.

Ludwig,

It is my democratic right to get involved and support the party I believe in. This is accepted in all democracies, but you obviously have a novel position. Buying influence is another thing, but is unlikely for $5000 or even $50 000, the only reason for a limit was for labor to try and strangle the libs, which is far from democratic.

SM, where does supporting your party end and buying influence begin?

What is it exactly that you think is ‘novel’ about my position?

I'd be more concerned about the political lobbying of groups funded by government for that purpose and to get their vote of course. A good example would be the ethnic lobby where groups get a direct line to government via the relevant minister. No transparency there much of the time and all behind closed doors.

You could add to that the free podiums offered by the national broadcasters and particularly the SBS.

If you are at all concerned about sourcing political influence and its links with $$, no-one, not even the public bureaucrats themselves have even been able to figure the total cost of direct and indirect government funding of multiculturalism, or put towards indigenous, or the women's movement to take another examples of Goughisms that got entirely out of hand.

How much political effluent does Gina Rhinoceros have with the Coalition, flying the motley crew around in her private jet. What Gina wants Barny and boys will dutifully deliver, on time, every time.

Short memories. Can Gina do this:

Political donations
A few union heavies decide Labor leaders and have toppled a popular PM. They decide who gets the gig to represent seats and who is in cabinet. Their protection rackets rule supreme.

Ethnic lobby
They suck. Stuff all political donations from them. In fact the river of gold runs the other way while the ethnic tail swings the public dog.

Emily's List
So what that your electorate has put you up, here are the undeclared policies that suit US and we will work behind closed doors to put in place.

Loud laughter that private citizens throwing $5k+ into the hat of any political party will ever have the effect of those masters of lobbying power and political correctness.

Gough to thank for the powerful lobbyists that we, the Aussie taxpayers are obliged to stump up millions annually so they can lobby for more while swinging from the taxpayer's teat.

I didn't mention indigenous, but then they deserve a whole thread.