David Norris (Independent)

The question of the constitutional convention was raised. There is a real contradiction. We were told we had missed the boat but we could still throw in this topic for consideration by the constitutional convention. Many people avoided the real issues.

I am not referring to myself. I am not aggrieved by any of the political side of things. Certainly, I have an issue with the media and I will return to the point on another occasion but I specifically excluded that from this debate because I wanted to confine myself to a discussion of the principles. Can a single Member defend the fact that the political parties with their huge resources are permitting donations from individuals three times the amount that individuals who have to fund a campaign out of their own resources, and that the parties are allowed to exempt contributions in kind, such as postering, transport and all the rest under the standards in public office legislation? In other words there is a clear, deliberate and massive financial disadvantage deliberately placed on individual citizens by the parties. That is inarguable. That is a mathematical fact. It is not a question of how I phrased it, which people may be picky about if they wish. It is a mathematical fact.