May 29, 2013 12:00pm by David Farrar

Australian parties vote themselves $30 million of taxpayer money

The Labor and Liberal parties have struck a secret deal to siphon more than $30 million of taxpayer funds into political organisations.

Described as a “dirty cash grab” by some senior government MPs, the two big parties agreed to award themselves $1 for every House of Representatives and Senate vote they get at the September 14 poll.

The “administrative funding” will be separate and on top of the election funding paid to parties or candidates who get at least 4 per cent of first preferences.

This rate is $2.47 a vote but will be indexed for inflation on July 1. From the 2010 election, political parties and candidates shared $53 million in election funding.

Disgraceful. This is what the left are pushing for in NZ – MPs voting taxpayer money to their own political parties, to help themselves get elected.

NZ is not totally immune. We have around $2 million effectively given to parties for broadcasting advertisements – but out situation is hugely better than in Australia.

Parties that don’t have to go out to their supporters and members for donations, get corrupt and out of touch. NZ has quite low spending limits for election campaigns, so there is no need for taxpayer funding of political parties.