The Guardian 6 April, 2005
Chequebook electioneering
We are now headed full pelt towards a US-style election process, with chequebook
electioneering becoming the norm. Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) figures reveal
that at the federal election last year merchant banker and all round parasite Malcolm
Turnbull spent over $609,000 to beat the incumbent Peter King, a fellow Liberal Party
member, in the seat of Wentworth. After losing a political bun fight over pre-selection,
King ran as an independent and spent more than $138,000.
Turnbull also used his considerable wealth to buy $60,000 in opinion polls and more than
$50,000 on advertising.
The Australian Health Insurance Association, the umbrella group for the private heath insurance
companies — the ones getting the $4 billion-a-year rebate from the Howard Government —
shelled out $168,642 on advertising in the print media and $22,000 on opinion polls.
The adverts were propaganda promoting the rebate and attacking the Greens who promised to
have that massive flow of taxpayers' money stopped. (It should also be kept in mind that it was
Labor preferences against the Greens that prevented them having the balance of power in the
Senate and thus ensuring the Howard government control of both houses come July
1).
The Forest Industries Association of Tasmania spent more than $103,000 on television and radio
adverts, more than $207,000 on print media ads and over $6500 running opinion
polls.
The Association's chief executive Terry Edwards stated bluntly that it was worth it, getting the
pro-logging Howard government re-elected: "We got the result we are reasonably happy with."
Logging company Gunns, which is suing environmentalists, including Greens leader Bob Brown,
spent $18,630 on ads promoting logging and the Howard government.
NSW Greens MP Lee Rhiannon responded to last weeks AEC figures with a statement calling
for an overhaul of the rules, describing election campaigns by some as "vote buying
exercises".
Ms Rhiannon said it was "clearly perverse" for a candidate to be able to spend over $600,000 on
a campaign and where cash can determine who forms government.
"Our current electoral laws need a comprehensive review if people can effectively buy their way
into parliament. Whether it's capping spending or providing better amounts of public funding,
there has to be a better way than this chequebook electioneering.
"That kind of money simply leaves opponents for dead and does nothing to improve people's
trust in politicians or the political process." Ms Rhiannon called for the NSW electoral laws to be
reviewed before the next state election.