No to donations

I have spoken publicly many a time of the damage to the reputation of NSW councils from the scandals at Wollongong and a few other municipalities, chiefly over development issues. Elected representatives should not accept donations, least of all from real estate interests and developers, something which I never done.

I bring the same commitment in my bid for election to the ACT Assembly.

MLAs are elected to look after the interests of all Canberran's, not just the few who have, in effect, bought and paid for them with political donations.

In my years as Mayor and Councillor of Queanbeyan, I never once accepted any political donations. I funded my election campaigns myself. Queanbeyan has always had a lively body politic, with firm Them and Us alliances on council, but has largely escaped claims of corruption or systematic mismanagement.This is something greatly helped by ensuring as much transparency in council transactions as possible. And this is undermined when people in the debate have secret obligations to others outside the legislative chamber.

I will fund my campaign with fund-raising events and not with developers donations.