Fed:All parties should consider banning fundraisers: Bligh

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2009
Fed:All parties should consider banning fundraisers: Bligh

BRISBANE, Aug 3 AAP - Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has urged all sides of politics
to consider banning fundraising functions with businesses.

Ms Bligh, one of three federal ALP presidents, on Sunday announced that Queensland
state Labor MPs were now banned from attending such events.

Public concern about political fundraising functions with businesspeople extended beyond
Queensland, she said.

"My view is that over the next couple of years we are likely to see, or at least over
the next 12 months, a very strong public debate about these sort of issues," Ms Bligh
told ABC radio on Monday.

But she stopped short of calling for a national ban on the practice.

"I would urge all political parties to re-examine this issue."

While she was unaware of anything improper having taken place at such events in the
past, she said, public confidence in Australian democracy was as much about perception
as reality.

"There is, I think, an emerging view from the Australian public that these sorts of
functions cause them some concern," she said.

"From my perspective, I don't like them, I never have and I think it's time they become
a thing of the past."

Claims emerged overnight that Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe
and Local Government Minister Desley Boyle kept a 2005 meeting about a development on
the Fraser Coast, north of Brisbane, under wraps.

And on Monday morning, it was alleged the premier's chief-of-staff Mike Kaiser is also
linked to the Rainbow Shores project at Inskip Point.

Ms Bligh defended the ministers, saying Mr Hinchliffe announced any perceived conflict
of interest over the development in parliament earlier this year.

"Stirling Hinchliffe cannot have been more open and transparent when dealing with this
matter," Ms Bligh said.

"When he became a minister he declared in the most public place of all the potential
for a perceived conflict of interest and he distanced himself from anything to do with
this issue."

Ms Bligh earlier on Monday said Mr Hinchliffe would not be present when cabinet makes
a decision on the proposal.

"There is nothing untoward or unusual about a minister meeting with a number of players
about any given proposal," she said.

"In this case, Ms Boyle met with the owners of the land accompanied by Mr Hinchliffe.

She also met the council and residents close to the development."

Ms Boyle told The Courier Mail she had meetings with opponents and supporters of Rainbow Shores.

Defending Mr Kaiser, Treasurer Andrew Fraser on Monday morning told ABC Radio that
nothing untoward had taken place.

AAP bsb/rl/cdh/jhp/cdh

KEYWORD: FUNDRAISER UPDATE

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