The Wire

Do party donations buy political influence? That question was thrust back onto the agenda today with the release of a list of all the donations to New South Wales political parties made during the second half of 2008. Today’s list included the usual suspects – developers, unions and the hotel industry – but the real surprise was that there were so many donations in a period that didn’t include a state election. The release of the list has reignited debate over whether donations should be capped and disclosed at the time they are received by parties. These issues are currently under review at state and federal levels. There is also concern that the information on the NSW Election Funding Authority website is too complex.