Local Greens candidates today called on Federal Labor candidates in the Hunter to “come clean” on who is paying for their Federal election campaigns.
The Greens candidates for Newcastle (John Sutton), Charlton (David Blyth), and Shortland (Joan Lambert) today released a fact sheet of donations to NSW Labor showing how much Labor was relying on vested interests (especially large corporations) with appalling social, environmental and industrial relations records.
In NSW, the ALP has been receiving ten times more income in donations from corporations than from unions. Donations from developers and property-based companies alone totalled four times more than unions.
Low-points include tobacco companies such as Phillip Morris and Rothmans, property developers such as Lend Lease and Multiplex, and the Westpac, Macquarie and ANZ banks.
“Labor has stolen most of the Coalition’s ideology – now they’re stealing their sponsors!” Greens candidate for Newcastle John Sutton said.
“Voters have a right to know the extent to which the Labor Party’s Federal election coffers have been swelled by money from such sources.
“Labor’s traditional supporters – the working people of the Hunter – might be interested to know that it is their bosses who are increasingly controlling the purse strings of the ALP,” Mr Sutton said.
Joan Lambert, Greens Candidate for Shortland said, “The Greens believe the public has a right to know who is paying for and influencing the major parties’ election campaigns before they vote for them and not after it is too late.”
David Blyth, Greens Candidate for Charlton said, “The ALP is taking huge amounts of money from the corporations that the Liberals once called their own. Many of those companies are anti-union and have terrible records in workplace safety and environmental protection,”
“We are calling on all the Labor candidates in the Hunter to say exactly who has contributed to the campaign locally, state-wide and nationally – and what exactly they get or expect to get for their money,” Mr Sutton concluded.
[FACT SHEET FOLLOWS]
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FACT SHEET: NSW Labor Donors, 1995 to 1999
[see Greens media release: Greens ask Labor: “Who pays the piper?” Tuesday 6 November]
| Sector | 1995 | 1999 | 5 yr Increase |
| Tobacco/Alcohol etc | |||
| Phillip Morris Corp | $54,000 | $53,000 | -$1,000 |
| Rothmans Holdings | $0.00 | $20,000 | +$20,000 |
| Lion Nathan Aust P/L | $0.00 | $10,000 | +$10,000 |
| Coca Cola Amitil Ltd | $0.00 | $10,000 | +$10,000 |
| Banking/Finance | |||
| Westpac | $0.00 | $116,000 | +$116,000 |
| Macquarie Bank | $2,000 | $30,000 | +$28,000 |
| ANZ Banking | $0.00 | $5,000 | +$5,000 |
| Transport | |||
| P&O Australia | $5,000 | $7,500 | +$2,500 |
| Defence | |||
| Tenix P/L | $0.00 | $25,000 | +$25,000 |
| Retail | |||
| McDonalds | $0.00 | $10,000 | +$10,000 |
| Coles Myer Ltd | $0.00 | $16,300 | +$16,300 |
| Developers/Property | |||
| BaulderstoneHornibrook | $0.00 | $10,000 | +$10,000 |
| Lend Lease | $60,000 | $180,000 | +$120,000 |
| Multiplex Const. | $7,500 | $170,000 | +$162,500 |
| Meriton Apartments | $54,000 | $75,000 | +$21,000 |
| Mirvac Projects | $10,000 | $45,000 | +$35,000 |
| Abi Group | $0.00 | $70,000 | +$70,000 |
| Citilease | $0.00 | $40,000 | +$40,000 |
| Transfield/Bouygues | $0.00 | $10,000 | +$10,000 |
| Thesis Contractors P/L | $0.00 | $10,000 | +$10,000 |
| Hills Motorway ltd | $0.00 | $13,000 | +$13,000 |
| Walker Corp. | $7,000 | $150,000 | +$143,000 |
| TMG Developments | $0.00 | $12,000 | +$12,000 |
| Partner Dixon Const. | $0.00 | $20,000 | +$20,000 |
| Leighton Holdings | $24,000 | $85,000 | +$61,000 |
| Transfield Corp. | $47,350 | $25,000 | – $22,350 |
[SOURCE: Australian Electoral Commission]
