Greens call on NSW Labor to return dirty Santos donations again

Protest against Santos

NSW Greens Energy Spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham has called on Opposition Leader Luke Foley and the NSW Labor Party to return $2250 in donations they received from coal seam gas miner Santos.  The donations were revealed in Santos’ 2015-16 Donor Annual Return to the Australian Electoral Commission.

In March 2015, in the shadow of the state election, the NSW Labor Party returned $2200 worth of donations to Santos following pressure from the Greens.

“Once again Labor have been caught out taking easy money from a coal seam gas company, despite promising the public that they would not do so,” Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham said.

“Taking money from Santos shatters Labor’s credibility when it comes to opposing coal seam gas. 

“The public is tired of seeing Labor promise something in opposition and then do the bidding of their donors once they come to power. Luke Foley must return this dirty money.”

In response to the NSW Labor Party suggestion that these were donations to the federal election campaign and not a state campaign, Jeremy Buckingham said:

“It is clear from their donation disclosure that Santos knew they were donating to the NSW Division of the Labor Party.

“Whether the money goes in the front door or the back door, it is still dirty fossil fuel cash given to try and influence the policy of the NSW Labor Party,” Mr Buckingham said.

16 February 2017