The political equivalent of taller men wear longer trousers

The Owl is continually bemused by people acting surprised that companies, unions and individuals give donations to political parties in the expectation that it will help them get access to MPs. In my not inconsiderable experience of the election process there is no other reason for such actions.
It has always been thus.
And for most of my years in politics the process has not worried me. The Australian political system, at least at the federal level, traditionally had the checks and balances of an independent and basically impartial public service. That limited the impact that having the ear of a minister could have.
It is only since the transfer of power from departmental officials to ministerial staffers that the excesses of buying influence have got out of hand.
A decision by Bill Shorten to return power to departments headed by permanent career heads would make his planned corruption apparatus unnecessary.

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