Australia's Looming 'McCain-Feingold' Debate

SOMEBODY had to point out the obvious and I'm glad Brendan Nelson finally realised the responsibility was his. The Opposition Leader has questioned both the timing of those proposed new political financing laws and how egregiously - perhaps deliberately - disadvantageous to the non Labor parties they might end up becoming. Labor's symbiotic alliance with unions means cash will still be spent - effectively, against the Coalition - despite what funding limits may be placed on the major parties' treasuries. Australian Electoral Commission figures show that unions spent more than $22 million on their long anti-Work Choices propaganda campaign by the end of June last year. The Wollongong City Council corruption inquiry explains John Faulkner's ostentatious resolve on the subject. But the consequences for democracy nation-wide could be woeful if the present dominance of union-backed Labor governments is ignored as a factor in any new funding laws.