ACT leader Richard Prebble says the ACT Party strongly opposes taxpayer money being spent to fund political parties.

Mr Prebble was responding to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee's move to investigate the issue of state funding for political parties.

"Politicians have no right to reach into taxpayers' pockets and ask them to fund the political views of parties they don't agree with.

"If party supporters are not prepared to give money to support their party, why should the taxpayer? Voluntarism is an important part of the political process.

"When political parties are state funded, it's inevitable that politicians become even more out of touch with the community.

"Fundraising is a humbling experience for a politician - I say that from personal experience.. It will be a huge setback for democracy if politicians no longer have to sell raffle tickets," Mr Prebble said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>