Money to burnIt is easy to guess why cigarette company Phillip Morris gave the Liberal and National parties more than $100,000 before the 2013 Federal election. But why do other companies and business people make political donations of thousands of dollars?
More on the murky world of New South Wales Liberal Party fundraising and donations:In yesterday’s homework for Dare We Call it Whitehousegate, the challenge was to identify the 2009 managing director of Tenko Management Pty Ltd.
The strange case of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's daughter and her scholarship to the Whitehouse Institute has all sorts of connections. [Disclaimer: No inference of wrongdoing should be drawn from any of this information.]Some background from the Guardian Australia:
As a former Northern Territorian I had to track down these stories about Foundation 51: From Crikey:
Some tweets to brighten up your day if Joe Hockey's economic voodoo is worrying you:
Australia’s GDP per capita 2012 was US$67,442 per person, cf $51,749 for USA . In Howard's 2005 Aus GDP per capita =$32,526, US=$44,314.
— Rod_Hagen (@Rod_Hagen) May 4, 2014
"It is clear to me that there is a widespread, genuine passion for rebuilding the Labor party....Today I announce the start of a major campaign to rebuild the Australian Labor Party and renew our sense of purpose....Making Labor more democratic and more representative is also about reaching out to union members – not just those in leadership positions – to join our party and participate in our decision-making.Unions will always have a vital role to play in Australian society – and
The Marches in March continue to glow with controversy.
Australians took to the streets on the weekend of 15 - 16 March 2014 to protest against the Tony Abbott's Federal government just six months after its election.
ALP members have waited a long time for party reform. We have watched the Federal party waste the promise of the 2007 elections, tearing itself apart with personality politics, factional feuds, and backroom deals and bullying.The party administration and campaigning, at both Federal and State levels, have been woeful to say the least.
There is a cricket team of candidates for the Griffith By-election on 8 February 2014.