"When it has been filled with a swill funded by taxpayers and invitations have been issued to various organisations to come and slurp, it’s fair to suppose it is a trough. This likelihood is increased significantly when we learn the invitation to come and slurp is issued by Shane Jones.
"As Minister of Regional Development, Jones has invited councils, iwi, businesses and community organisations with infrastructure projects that support regional priorities to apply for funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, which opened [yesterday]. ... Jones’s invitation to apply for a place around the trough was among the latest press statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website."
~ Buzz from the Beehive, from their post 'Roll up, oinkers – Shane Jones is calling hogs to a new trough, not as rich as the PGF, true, but a $1.2bn swill must be tempting'
“Politicians having to justify their work to supporters, members, and donors is healthy. Public funding would give a huge advantage to the established political parties. It professionalises politics and stamps on the grass roots.
“The vast majority of donations made to political parties are small. That is a good thing. It means politicians and party bosses are accountable to many.”
"If politicians can be bought for the amounts under the threshold for disclosure, it’s the politicians who are wrong not the threshold."
~ Taxpayers Union (italicised) and Ele Ludemann, from her post 'Honest People Keep Rules'
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