Money for nothing??

Wednesday, 11 Oct 2006
Triguboff Reveals Why Political Donations From Developers Should be Banned

The Greens campaign to ban political donations from property developers has been strengthened by revelations of direct political influence exercised by Developer Harry Triguboff and his bizarre call to open up the national parks surrounding Sydney for housing development.

“Just like Frank Lowy’s revelations of his meetings with Bob Carr over the Orange Grove development, Mr Triguboff’s revelations about his cosy meetings with current and former Premiers and Planning Ministers demonstrates clearly that large political donations buy both access and influence with this government,” said NSW Greens MP Lee Rhiannon.

Electoral Office figures reveal that Mr Triguboff’s company Meriton Apartments has donated over $800,000 to the Labor and Liberal parties over the last five years.

“His extraordinary suggestion to put housing estates in the national parks demonstrates both how much damage property developers are willing to do in the pursuit of profit and why they should not be allowed to buy direct political influence in the way Mr Triguboff has,” said Ms Rhiannon.

“The Greens oppose any attempt to develop the national parks. If Mr Triguboff gets his way Sydney will be unliveable; overcrowded, congested, with foul air and not enough water. Mr Triguboff will of course massively increase his own already substantial fortune so I guess he can go and live on his yacht somewhere while the rest of us live in the wasteland he will have created,” said Greens MP and Planning spokesperson Sylvia Hale.

“It is very disturbing that someone with such an environmentally damaging vision for Sydney is able to purchase such direct access to the Premier and Planning Minister.”

“The NSW Greens believe there is a clear conflict of interest between large property developers pushing their developments and the government that determines planning laws and gives consent to major projects. The only way to avoid this conflict is for property developers to be banned from making donations to political parties,” said Ms Hale.

Unlike both the Labor Party and the Coalition parties the NSW Greens do not accept donations from property developers or large corporations.