[Sandy Reith]

Its fine to investigate political donations and of course the ramifications.
But then there’s a problem if we are being led towards offering solutions, like banning donations on the basis of the business of an individual or company solely in terms of land zoning permissions. For example to legally define that concept, a too close connection between a particular political decision and the financial benefit gained, is virtually impossible. Why not include and define the numerous other political decisions that affect businesses ranging from taxation and the extraordinary number of permits and regulations that emanate from a large number of the twelve hundred Commonwealth instrumentalities, let alone State governments? Are we a free people that have the right to donate to organisations that we wish to support? Is it healthy to have a strong system of political parties in the interests of good government? Shall we do away with cash altogether and then governments will have total surveillance of all of what used to be our private property?

I’m very happy to point out and highlight donations such as the famous Rex donations but to divert energy into complex philosophical discourse about changing the laws around the right to make donations to political parties risks blurring the focus.

Furthermore it is society’s acquiescence to a system of government control over private land use that is at heart of matter. This system, euphemistically known as ‘planning’ exists on the basis of the opinions of governments who have no skin in the game versus those private individuals and companies that plan for themselves with their own money and resources. Remove that opinion making element by governments and the problem of influence no longer exists. Such is the happy state of affairs in no zoning Houston Texas, and used to be in Australia BP (Before Planning, zero unemployment, affordable market value land, freedom of choice, services like shops where viable and businesses located in their best positions to make money and all contributed to very fast growing prosperity).

Or to make it simple, take your pick, government in or out?

Let’s go for aviation rules in a similar fashion as we have for road transport. Rules that no one has any real problem with, do away with all the thought bubble opinions, let people get on with learning how they choose and free enterprise will sort the system, we could progress. USA rules, instructors no need for medical if student already soloed. Plain commonsense, not forgetting that in this Information Age the newbie can check for what’s real and for value if they take the trouble and don’t have an ego problem to ask.