Mackellar election 2022: ‘Teal’ independent confirms she has a $1.4 million campaign budget
The independent candidate for Mackellar has confirmed she has received $700,000 in campaign funding from millionaire businessman and Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court.
Manly
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At least $1.4 million in donations has been poured into the election war chest of independent candidate Sophie Scamps to help her win the blue ribbon Liberal seat of Mackellar.
Dr Scamps revealed on Thursday that $700,000 of that funding is coming from millionaire businessman and Climate 200 election philanthropist Simon Holmes a Court.
It is the first time that Dr Scamps has put a figure on the money being provided by Mr Holmes a Court, who is helping finance the campaigns of several so-called ‘teal’ candidates in the federal election.
Dr Scamps, and other candidates supported by Climate 200, have been criticised by political opponents for not being more upfront about who was helping pay for their campaigns.
Climate 200 says it is backing political candidates who are “committed to a science-based approach to climate change and to restoring integrity in politics”.
A poll, released last week, commissioned by Climate 200, suggested that the primary vote count between Dr Scamps and Jason Falinksi would be neck-and-neck.
During a public debate with Mr Falinski hosted by the Ben Fordham radio breakfast show on 2GB on Thursday, Dr Scamps was asked how much she had received from Mr Holmes a Court.
She told Fordham that the campaign had raised more than $700,000 from donors “within our own community who want change” and that Climate 200 would match that amount.
“He has pledged to match, fund that,” she said.
“I think he is giving us $700,000.”
Mr Falinski did not respond to a question from Fordham about whether Mr Holmes a Court would become a parliamentary puppet master if any of the Climate 200 candidates were elected.
Last month, however, Mr Falinski told Sky News Australia that Mr Holmes à Court thought Australian elections were like a “corporate takeover”.
He said the businessman was attempting to buy the votes of Australian voters.
“He treats Australians as thought their vote is for sale. He is attempting to take over the parliament with money.”
But Mr Falinski did say on Thursday on 2GB that he was worried about the intentions of the teal independents, if there was a hung parliament, about hat side of politics they would support.
“We live in a very uncertain world, a very dangerous geopolitical situation, our economic recovery is not assured, we’re seeing inflation at 5.1 per cent, we’re seeing interest rates go up.
“We know that if we have a hung parliament, and we saw in 2010 the chaos and dysfunction that (it) led to.”
Mr Falinski said Climate 200 was receiving many of its donations from previous supporters of the Labor Party.
When asked who she would back to form government in the event of a minority government, Dr Scamps said policies were still being announced by both sides “so how could any person say who they are going to support”.
“I will wait until both parties, I will negotiate with either side, and all Australians will need to wait and see what they offer on the table.
Dr Scamps said her decision would be based on what the people of Mackellar tell her they want.
When asked if they supported the NSW Government’s proposed Beaches Link tolled tunnel to the northern beaches Mr Falinski said it was needed.
“Not only do I support it, I will fight for it.”
Dr Scamps did not give her definitive support for the tunnel, but said “people on the northern beaches need a really good transport option”.
“So we need to come up with the best option for them, whether it’s the Beaches tunnel, whether it’s public transport, it needs to be looked at.”
Dr Scamps said she also supported the creation of a federal integrity commission to investigate corruption because “rorting and pork-barrelling had become the norm”.
“People have lost trust in their government, in our parliament and we should be able to restore that sense of trust and decency.
Mr Falinski said he, and the current government, supported an integrity commission and an investigative body that looked at corruption, but not along the lines of the NSW ICAC.
“I don’t think we should do that at the cost of natural justice and procedural fairness.”
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