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The credits had rolled, most of the audience had shuffled out. Depending on how you looked at it, the ending was sad or the villain got the comeuppance he deserved. But there was more drama to come - a late plot twist which demands a sequel.
After the theatre of Question Time and the emotional valedictory of Alan Tudge, after the opposition and most of the government had shuffled out of the chamber, independents Andrew Wilkie, Monique Ryan, Kate Chaney and Rebekha Sharkie were up on their feet, demanding to know why Communications Minister Michelle Rowland had accepted donations from gambling giant Sportsbet before the May election and gifts including tickets to sporting events from Tabcorp after it.
As the minister responsible for online gambling, they argued, these donations were a clear conflict of interest that undermined confidence in the minister, who they called upon to resign.
Leader of government business in the house Tony Burke thundered in Rowland's defence that she had complied with the ministerial code of conduct and had done no wrong. Further, as minister, she had not done anything which could be construed as aiding the interests of the online gambling giants.
The weight of numbers meant the independents' motion was defeated. But that should not be the end of the matter.
If, technically, the minister had broken no rules then the rules themselves are inadequate. The threshold for federal MPs being obliged to declare donations is $15,000; Sportsbet's $10,000 donation fell well under that.
If you subscribe to the notion that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and you accept Australia has a huge gambling problem with the biggest per capita losses in the world, then the donations have a ripe pong about them.
It gets even more malodorous when you see Sportsbet donated well over $100,000 to both the Liberal and Labor parties in 2021-2022 - and you see the Liberal Party is nowhere to be seen when the matter is raised in the parliament.
Albo promised he'd fix the way politics is done in this country. If he's fair dinkum, he'll need to fix the way politics is financed as well. Political donations ought to be reported in real time, not after elections are done and dusted. The threshold for reporting should be much lower than $15,000. Until that happens there'll always be a lingering perception that our pollies are beholden to those financing their campaigns.
As for Rowland, she has a bit of trust ground to make up even if she has done no wrong. A good start would be to decline any future gifts or donations from companies over which she had responsibility for rules and regulations. And she could perhaps take the lead from her home state, NSW, where gambling companies are banned from donating to state MPs and candidates, and advocate for a similar ban at the federal level.
It's often said sunlight is the best disinfectant. So it's about time we saw more of it cast over political donations. We should know who is donating and how much before we cast our votes.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Is there enough transparency of political donations? Should we have real-time reporting of donations? Should gambling companies be banned from financing political campaigns? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- A federal minister has referred the findings of an investigation into a government agency's workplace culture to the police and Australian Public Service Commissioner. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has been under the spotlight since November, when it was revealed a senior manager resigned after urinating on a co-worker.
- Defence Minister Richard Marles has accused the former Coalition government of "doing nothing" about China-linked surveillance cameras in place on sensitive sites after they were first raised with ministers in 2018.
- The Albanese government has been ordered to submit documents relating to extending a controversial offshore gas exploration project, on the NSW coast between Newcastle and Wollongong, known as PEP-11. Coalition and independent senators backed a Greens motion calling for legal advice the Prime Minister had received surrounding Petroleum Exploration Permit number 11.
THEY SAID IT: "Both the major parties accept huge sums of money from big industries, and their policies show it." - Senator Larissa Waters
YOU SAID IT: Garry took his quill to creationists, climate deniers and all those who ignore science and instead subscribe to irrational, unproven beliefs, including Tony Abbott who has just joined a UK climate sceptic "think" tank.
Roger says: "'Abbott ... cloaks himself as a healthy sceptic.' Sceptic, yes; healthy, no."
Gary is firmly on the side of science: "Well done, Garry - an intrepid contribution. Your column reminded of similar thought processes attributed to the late Christopher Hitchens who said, among many other denunciations of delusional creationists, that 'religion is poisonous, and an affirmation of faith'. Of course I strongly support greater support for the sciences."
Jim says: "Hooray for science! I am proud to say that my younger son leaves for Canberra soon to start his chemistry degree at ANU. Indeed, if I were any prouder I would explode."
Terry says science is essential: "Science not thoughts and prayers will fix many of the world's issues. There should be more funding for universities and less for religious organisations."
Stuart is sceptical about the cause of climate change: "Firstly, is this a paid advertisement supporting man-made climate change? The climate has been changing since the beginning of time. Do I support science? Yes. Do I believe any of the predictions by Al Gore (now silent) or Tim Flannery (also silent)? No. Who else would you like to put up? The IPCC? There are two sides to this debate and one side is doing serious harm to Australians who, together, are contributing (allegedly) about 1 per cent to the world's changing climate. Go figure."
Phil from Port Macquarie says: "This has been one of my ongoing bugbears for a number of years. The lack of respect for our scientists and science has only been amplified by the introduction of social media and the ability to anonymously question/deny/obscure facts. I keep on asking the TV, 'If we don't believe in the science of climate change why do we keep on flying around the world trusting the science of physics and gravity?' But this skepticism has always been with us. It's just being amplified now. Governments should invest more in scientific research but the problem is that research uncovers either uncomfortable truths or spends a lot of money to achieve not much. That's the quandary of scientific research. People like certainty in life and meaning. Science doesn't always deliver on this front and this allows the fringe to throw doubt into the mix."
Daniel is glum: "'Ignorance is bliss,' said the last trusting dodo as it walked up to a human wielding a large stick. Maybe evolution should have been touted as survival of the smartest. Unfortunately, the stupid ones appear to be winning, given the depleting funds to scientific endeavours."