http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...ke-senators-poll-windfall-20131001-2uqs6.html NSW senator-elect David Leyonhjelm, who admits he benefited from voters mistaking him for a Liberal Party candidate on the ballot paper, will receive more than $1 million from taxpayers as a result of his hefty primary vote. His Liberal Democratic Party will pocket the money, despite planning to oppose public funding for political parties. ''We might be new but we're not stupid,'' he told Fairfax Media. Indeed.
That's very biased. Every candidate gets this money, even those that weren't elected. What about every senator's $192K salary plus perks?
He's no different then the rest. He got in through voter stupidity and will be out once his term is up, taking with him generous entitlements. Meanwhile he will have achieved absolutely nothing of consequence.
I think they should keep the money and reverse their position on opposing public funding of political parties. One way or another, political parties need to be funded and if it isn't done in a way that takes into account the people who's views they represent and number of votes they get, the money will come from vested interests trying to buy the public policy they want. And that goes both for the Liberals taking money from the tobacco industry and for Labor taking money from property developers. Ensuring our democracy doesn't end up like America's might cost a little bit, but it's cheap at the price.
It would have been better if the LDP had only taken a percentage of the available funds available to them rather than the lot. That way they would have been adhearing to their own polices whilst still funding themselves properly. Rejecting say 25% of the 1 million would have been a good PR exercise.
I don't really see the issue. Hopefully they will use the money wisely to get their message out in to the public domain. How many of us disagree with a government handout or rebate but still accept it? FHOG, 30% health insurance rebate, etc....
I don't disagree with rebates...so named as a rebate of money that is mine that the Feds took off me.
As a member of the LDP I too was a little uncomfortable with this but as the Senator said, until all parties have the same restrictions , it would be stupid to refuse the money that will go to funding much needed work in lowering taxes and increasing personal freedoms.
Agree - but if reforms are achieved will he remove his nose from the trough - once the nose is in I seriously doubt it...
This is exactly the same as the greens policy of ending donations while taking the same donations they are rallying to stop. He's right, why would you cut your nose off in spite your face. The LDP needs funding to get their voice heard and it would be stupid to bankrupt themselves while trying to stop the megabucks going to Libs and Labor. The point for them is to cut the funding to all. Not just yourself. This is a no brainer.
Does anyone here who doesn't support public funds going parties seriously think that this won't happen? The only parties that will have any influence as a result will be the ones bank rolled by the unions, CBA & co bankster scum, mining and retail.
Its only worthless fiat anyway. Its not like they have given LDP something of real value like gold and silver instead its just imaginary 1,0s on a computer that will be completely worthless sooner or later
not sure which country you live in mate, but here in Stralia the big parties in government most certainly DO achieve things of consequence! I see the consequences each and every day - mostly because i spend most of my working hours working for the government ... there isn't a single aspect of life which these parasites have not infultrated!