GUEST BLOG: Ross Meurant – Political Donations

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The Daily Blog
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 In my view, it’s not a question of – a donation.  The question is, why?

Why does a dollar or a hundred thousand dollars, traverse to the coffers of a political party?

Is it for, “democracy to flourish”?

Is it for support of a “party’s principles”?

These motivations I suggest, are, “acceptable”.

Or, is it in expectation of influencing a particular policy or MP?

These motivations I suggest, introduce the potential for ulterior objectives.

The problem is however (in my view), defining the latter category. For example, does an annual free dinner or a round table closed session, promoted by an industry group or a corporation, where mix and mingle with MPs is designed to win their support for changes to legislation or worse, regulations, constitute, “attempt to influence” and therefore a bribe?

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

 

Ross Meurant; a former high-ranking police officer, former Member of Parliament, formerly with commercial interests in Syria and Iran and  currently Honorary Consul for an African state.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Ross
    The issue of when a cheque addressed to a political party, ends up in a trust and not where the donor thought the money was going, must also be a point of consideration.

  2. There should be very little doubt that the vast majority of those who voted Labour Greens in 2017 expected benefit rates to increase as per the Welfare Working Groups recommendations which is a very wonderfully naive ideal to have.

    After everyone exceeds themselves in the art of unmasking the true motivations of politicians. All I say is donations isn’t something that happens privately but is something that is at the core of every politicians art.

    Why then should we listen to politicians, do they not stigmatise us? So is it out of attachments to politics so these secret betrayals can remain?

    I don’t think there is some true ultimate truth that can be unearthed that reveals a politicians true motivations and Revolutionize democracy. Even when corruption is discernible in a politicians work the art is to undermine it and acquire a distance towards it. It’s true that it’s a very artistic practice and maybe the most striking example is NZDF covering up war crimes in recent times.

    It’s so interesting because all politicians display aggressive truth and above all we should never forget that private interest funds political campaigns with the public is being marginalized.

  3. At the risk of repeating myself….
    I think it’s important to remember what it is exactly that it is that we’re dealing with.
    I’m going to write broadly here so bear with, bear with. ( Or is it ‘bare’? I’m never sure which. Neither of which seems to be relevant to ‘patience being begged’ unless one’s on a weird date in South Carolina. I.e. To bare with a bear? You can understand my confusions.)
    Think The Beverly Hilbillies?
    Dear old Jed went out huntin’ up some food. Shot at a hog, or possum, and instead got a gusher of bubblin’ crude. Black Gold! Texas Tea! So the song goes.
    Here it is ! https://youtu.be/NwzaxUF0k18
    Farmers farm. That, is what they do. And swindlers swindle, that is what ‘they’ do.
    The problem with swindling is that one must either swindle in such a way as to go unnoticed of one’s swindlings in order to keep on swindling unnoticed. Or? Swindle until the game’s up. But then what?
    Lie? Die? Suicide? Avoid arrest as best one can or pay a motherfucker off?
    That ol’ Cook Islands thing was the spanner for the works.
    Thus. Heeeere’s winnie.
    Winnie’s job is to spin a yarn to us all to have us believe there’s nothing to see here. Move along.
    Kiwi-As billionaires and now Kiwi-as homeless living in the streets.
    Kiwi-As multi millionaires living in a complex logical fallacy, i.e. Auckland, while Southland farmers suicide as foreign banksters close a grip around their throats.
    Simple Hillbillie folk. They don’t have much use for all that money. So lets get it ! ?
    A simple story but well worth the writing aye boys?

  4. I think it is commonly thought that Sir Peter Talley is even-handed in his donations, nearly anyway, and all regarded as worthwhile will get something.

    It is time for donations to be regulated. Money should be paid into a central fund which will be entirely transparent. The intention will be to support democracy. Much of it can go to schools so that children get out on polling booths and entertain throughout the day, along with buskers. Get voting connected with the people and celebration and beforehand have a wish fulfilment day where people put their wishes down in 5 words and then the politicians fish them out on stage and talk to them in turns so all put their bit in, down the hall on Friday night.

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