“Thor Prohaska, the past Independent Candidate for Dickson asks why, at a recent press conference, was Malcom Turnbull falling over his own words. And why did the media ignore his breathtaking hypocrisy!”
At a Press Conference on 20 March 2017 to announce the introduction of a Bill into Parliament to ban the payment of corrupting benefits between Unions and Businesses the PM was asked a question by a pesky journalist that he was not willing or able to honestly answer.
JOURNALIST: How can you say that corporate payments to unions corrupt industrial bargaining outcomes, but corporate donations to political parties don’t corrupt public policy outcomes?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the, the purpose of the legis … so, so, what ah oh ah sorry. Well, you’re not seriously suggesting to me that a corrupting benefit should be allowed, as long as it’s disclosed? Is that what you are putting to us?
JOURNALIST: Why aren’t political donations a corrupting benefit to politicians? Why do you assume they don't impact public policy outcomes?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, its, I'm, wh, wh, wh, its, its ... I wouldn't have thought there would be anybody here actually defending employers paying bribes to unions, but there it is. It is a broad church.
I say …. “NO Prime Minister the journalist is NOT defending employers paying bribes to unions. IT IS ACTUALLTY YOU who is defending Corporations paying BRIBES to Political Parties that are CORRUPTING Public Policy Outcomes!”
I expected that the media would be all over it but disappointingly they weren't. I ask why did the media not think this is important when large numbers of Australians think that corporate donations to parties are bribes and this failure by the PM to answer the real question shows that he is in denial and out of touch!
I say that if we want a democracy that serves the interests of the majority of Australian citizens then the corrupting influence of political donations must be addressed immediately.
But before this debate can happen it must first be acknowledged by all political players that donations to political parties are a corrupting benefit.
END
For further information contact: Thor Prohaska
Email: thor@dicksonreps.net
Phone: 0419 344 806