Rod’s mail box had an odd surprise in it last friday….a cheque. A campaign donation cheque,infact, from Jason OBrien, the State ALP member for our area.

Dear Jason, thanks mate for your kind $150 campaign donation, I thankyou for your friendship. However, it’s thanks, but no thanks after my people were shafted, insulted and stifled in their objections to your parties’ amalgamation. The Queensland ALP has bungled the iconic legislation, through its proposed mal-administration, and your failure to give us, the aggrieved Douglas, any decent say in future planning changes. After Europe has banned fluoride, you ignorantly shove it down our throats, ruining our pride in what was once deemed the healthiest water in the country. Yes, we may have our backs to the wall, as the developers back Unity, and as the ALP backs its hacks, but no, we in Douglas are not going under: we will be noisy, positive and innovative in the new Cairns Council. Douglas’ light may flicker, but it will never be extinguished.

Councillor Rod Davis

The Crime and Misconduct Commission had made very strong recommendations, after the Gold Coast developer funded farce, saw the winning candidates have their campaign funding paid for in the evil tradition of buying ‘the best democracy that money can buy”. It was a blatant perversion of democracy, where developers can pay the campaign funds for their chosen candidates, and then expect to get preferred treatment when it comes to DA time.

The CMC said, at the very least, candidates should be required to declare where their funding comes from, BEFORE the election date, not after, when it’s too late to effect voter’s decisions. The Queensland ALP, who like the Unity Party, are up to their necks in property industry campaign funds, did the unethical thing, as is their way, and refused to run with the CMC recommendations. The reason is obvious, as both the ALP (and some of the Gold Coast Council, and the Unity Party), all took (and still take) what is not much short of bribes, from developers.

My personal view is that is way safer and much more ethical, especially in local government, to NOT take political donations, as political donations come with political expectations. As an independent, independence means no ‘favours’ owing. Local elections are not multi-million dollar affairs. I urge all journalists worth their salt, to ask some questions as to who is funding who in this game. If there are accusations that Cairns is too beholden to the development game, it’s not hard figuring out why.

Years ago, I’ve was once given a donation for newspaper ad, from a family friend, who was once in development. I won’t do it again. I might add, I was a bit cheeky with the cheque, as it was used for the once famed, IN ROD WE TRUST, piss-take ad.

The corruption brought on by the ALP, Coalition, (and political cabals in Cairns and The Gold Coast ), operate unobstructed, as its perfectly OK for developer donors to fund campaigns with $tens of thousands BEFORE an election, then once in power, there is little or no need for councilor to declare a ‘material personal interest’ if he sits in judgment of one of his donors applications. This suits all big parties very comfortably ( but don’t bring it up Rod)

Just check the donors to the last 2004 Cairn elections, and it’s a list of players, their lawyers and contractors, who benefit from a clean run with their development applications.

The reason why no political party will overturn this absurdity, is because they all have their snouts in the donation trough. The end result are idiots like George Boy Bush running, or more like ruining the world. It’s what they call, ‘the best democracy money can buy’.

On the other hand, should the donor do business with councilor, or give him money after the election, by law, the councilor must declare it, and refrain from voting, and infact leave the meeting.

So help us poor punters  figure

this one. Developers funding a campaign can be immune from loosing their paid-up councilor, just so long as they pay up early, as an election donation. Yet, the same developer who has other financial biz with the same councilor, in $amounts way less than donated, then sorry, the developer looses his link to his ‘hired councilor’ as the councilor must declare an interest and leave the room. So developers, and infact all lobbyists, know how to pervert democracy. It’s easy.

Go figure the justice in that one.

And here, ladies and gentlemen, belies the fundamental flaw in the Westminster system, where any party that is beholden to massive advertising costs to get elected, and where business and trade unions are more than happy to oblige.

So like a good candidate says, make March 15 Independent’s Day, but nonetheless, all independents are not independents just because they are not in party, it’s who is funding their campaign that counts. I’m not taking a cent, albeit I won’t turn back a cuppa and a chat when doing door knocking

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