Responding to today's report that a suspected mafia figure was involved in fund raising for a 2013 Liberal Party marginal seat election campaign, Senator Lee Rhiannon and Greens democracy spokesperson said:

"Liberal Party leaders should open up their accounts for public scrutiny.

"These are very serious accusations linking a number of state and federal Liberal MPs with a person police describe as involved in murder, arson and other crimes.

A Liberal Party donor whose institution provided a $60 000 higher education “chairman’s scholarship” to Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s daughter raises serious questions about ethics and conflicts of interest, said Australian Greens spokesperson for democracy and higher education Senator Lee Rhiannon. 

“Les Taylor, chairman of the Whitehouse Institute of Design who provided the Prime Minister’s daughter with a fee-free education, has donated more than $12,000 to the NSW Division of the Liberal Party,” Senator Rhiannon said.

Les Taylor, chairman of the Whitehouse Institute of Design, provided the Prime Minister’s daughter with a fee-free education and has donated more than $12,000 to the NSW Division of the Liberal Party. The Liberal party recently announced that Government money can now be acccessed by private higher education providers such as the Whitehouse Institute of Design. Mr Abbott should now reveal if he was lobbied by the chairman of the Whitehouse Institute of Design, Les Taylor, to open up Federal Government funding to private higher education providers.

Commenting on the budget freeze to the indexation of Financial Assistance Grants for local government Australian Greens spokesperson for local government Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

"Treasurer Joe Hockey's $1 billion budget cut to local government is an assault on the important work of councils and shires across the country that are on the frontline of providing essential services and maintaining and building infrastructure.

"This decision pushes the brutal Abbott budget onto local communities and their councils.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (10:18): I rise to support the National Integrity Commission Bill 2013 and congratulate the Australian Greens Leader, Christine Milne, on her comprehensive speech in which she detailed not just what this bill will do but why it is needed. There are so many examples that reinforce every day why a national corruption watchdog is so urgently needed.

Senate voting reform that would end the back room party preference deals and allow voters to determine their preferences is the key recommendation in a parliamentary committee report released today, Senator Lee Rhiannon Greens democracy spokesperson said.

Senator Rhiannon is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and a long term advocate of optional preferential voting. In 1999 in NSW on behalf of the Greens she won support of Labor and the Coalition for similar voting reform for the NSW Legislative Council.

This article was published in The Big Smoke on 9 May 2014.

The secret back-room deals for Senate preferences that plagued the 2013 Federal Election look set to end and become  a bad memory if the recommendations from a parliamentary committee are adopted.

Public disquiet has been considerable since a candidate with less than one percent of the vote won a Senate seat after engaging in a complex array of preference deals.

Responding to reports that the Abbott government will force universities to compete with private colleges through fee deregulation, Australian Greens higher education spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

"Fee deregulation is code for increasing student fees. Minister Pyne should prepare himself for more student protests over his fee deregulation policy, and such actions are now urgently needed.

Commenting on Professor Ian Harper's decision to pull out from speaking at the North Sydney Forum Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

"If Mr Abbott is serious about cleaning up the dirty politics of the NSW Liberals, he should shut down his party's secret fundraising bodies - North Sydney, Warringah and Wentworth Forum.

"The North Sydney, Warringah and Wentworth Forums effectively sell access to the three of the most powerful politicians in Australia.

MEDIA COMMENT

Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon has responded to reports that the Treasurer is pushing ahead with a series of exclusive high powered fund raising events for his election fund raising body the North Sydney Forum.

"Mr Hockey should release the list of attendees to reduce the perception of donation deals done behind closed doors," Senator Rhiannon said.