BendigoWeekly ISSUE 1095 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2018
Festival of the blues THE eighth annual Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival is up and running for the weekend. There are more than 150 acts across 50 venues until Sunday. Bendigo performer Sherri Parry took some time out with her ukelele in Rosalind Park this week, ahead of a busy few days of music. More details on pages 20 and 21
CASH POOR Photo: ANDREW PERRYMAN
By SHARON KEMP
BENDIGO voters will have a slimmer spread of candidates from Monday, and the major parties have been criticised for contributing to a difficult climate for raising campaign funds. But Australian Greens Leader Richard Di Natale yesterday rejected claims Labor’s election donation reforms have crippled the ability of smaller parties to raise money. If a political party was depending on large donations from a limited number of donors, it was a sign of “an unhealthy party structure”, he said.
■ Armistice
Funding change impacts candidates
Speaking to the Bendigo Weekly ahead of last night’s forum at the Bridge Hotel, Dr Di Natale said the Greens attracted small amounts from lots of donors, as well as volunteer hours in campaigns that were “people powered”. Early voting opens on Monday, but the seat of Bendigo West has attracted only two thirds of the candidates it did in 2014, and at least two parties appeared to have foregone
running candidates in either seat. Rise Up Australia was unable to confirm by deadline any candidates. The Australian Country Party also ran candidates in both electorates in 2014 but chairman Robert Danieli said the Victorian election reforms put donors off donating to its campaign, causing the party to stand in seven of the eight Upper House seats, but in only two lower house electorates, neither in central Victoria.
100 years on – Pages 10, 11 and 14
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Mr Danieli said the $1000 limit over which donors must disclose, as well as $4000 limit per donor, had dampened fundraising. “You can’t run much of a campaign on $4000,” he said. The $4000 limit comes into force after the November 24 election, but Liberal Bendigo East candidate Ian Ellis said it was likely potential donors could lump all reforms in with the current poll.
■ 52-page
He said political leadership changes in Canberra had contributed to what had been a campaign characterised by restrained donations. “After what has been happening federally, the feedback I am getting is that people don’t want to have anything to do with politics,” Mr Ellis said. He said businesses were reluctant to show any allegiance at the risk of missing out on business after the election, even if there was no evidence to support the perception.
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