Political donations put pollies in unflattering light

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through fundraising, during the
last local government election cam-
paign in 2004.
Cr Tsirekas said he supported
moves to tighten up the rules.
“What has happened in
Wollongong has unfortunately taint-
ed all of local government in a bad
way,” Cr Tsirekas said.
He said all donations made to
Canada Bay Labor were on the pub-
lic record. Donations were part of
“the nature of elections in the 21st
century”, he said.
“We don’t step outside the cur-
rent rules,” he said.
“I certainly wasn’t involved in
raising those funds, as a candidate
you have to have some distance, and
we have other people who work at
that . . . if you look through [the do-
nations list] there are just interested
people who support the party.”
Cr Tsirekas denied donors had
any influence over Canada Bay
Council decisions, or had more ac-
cess to himself or other councillors.
Liberal Cr Michael Megna said
that he would support a ban on do-
nations from developers.
“We self-funded our campaign
last time, and will do the same this
time,” Cr Megna said.
He said it was “a bit too close” to
accept donations from developers as
local government dealt with devel-
opments and DAs all the time.
Canada Bay Greens Cr Bernard
Rooney said his party had a strong
stance against accepting donations
from developers or corporations.
“Why are the developers giving
this money to political parties? Why
don’t they give it to charity? There
has to be a reason,” Cr Rooney said.
Cr Rooney said that he would not
criticise fellow councillors who had
received political donations.
“But the system has an obvious
potential to compromise people,”
he said.
WHO’S HELPING WHO?
During the 2006 election campaign, Drummoyne Labor MP Angela
D’Amore received donations totaling $25,875, including:
• $4000 from Vopak Terminals, which had a proposal for a bulk liquids berth
at Port Botany approved by the Minister for Planning last year. Ms D’Amore’s
brother-in-law is Ports Minister Joe Tripodi.
• $6000 from Challenge Property Investments, which is currently working on
a large apartment development in Chiswick.
• $500 each from the companies behind PJ Gallagher Hotels, the Five Dock
Hotel, Illinois Hotel, Concord Hotel and Burwood’s Duggan Family Hotels.
• $2000 from the Mirvac Group, developer of Rhodes Waterside.
• Among the $130,749 donated to Ms D’Amore in the 2003 election, $5000
came from Omaya Holdings, the company behind controversial Strathfield
Triangle developments, and $7000 from the Australian Hotels Association.
During the 2004 council election campaign, the local Labor ticket re-
ceived more than $96,000 in contributions, including:
• $5000 from Crown International Holdings Group, a company with commer-
cial and residential projects in Five Dock, Rhodes and Strathfield.
• $6666 from Mr and Mrs Eddie Chahine. Mr Chahine is a developer in
Strathfield.
• $13,333 from developer PolarCo Pty Ltd.

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