Political donations.

Donations made to political parties always raise the suspicion that the donor is looking for a favour - and the politician is selling his or her services.

What an individual does with his or her money is entirely that persons business. The cloud of suspicion hovers when the donor is a company doing business with the government - or a council in which some councillors are openly supporters of one side of politics.

Political donations are getting a public airing since it has been disclosed that a Wollongong based politician failed to disclose donations as is required by law. It is claimed that this was a head office mistake, but many perusing the now published list would question that secrecy.

The list included developers seeking approval for projects from the state government. Any donation where a government decision may confer financial profit must be highly suspect. The safest way to quarantine political donations from suspected corruption would be to impose an overall ban.

Many would look askance at donations to politicians made by councils. These are usually disguised as fees to attend fund raisers - and defended by councillors as a means of sitting down with senior state ministers to lobby for municipal improvements.

But - politics are a murky business and when politics and money collide there is a real reason for concern.

Perhaps the fairest way to ensure probity would be for every aspiring politician running for office to be given a set amount of promotional money from the public purse. The electoral authorities would then scrutinise every commercial put to air and every pamphlet printed to ensure that the outlay did not exceed the sum given.

It would be illegal for any outside body to advertise or in any way assist in promoting that candidates chances of election.

At least the public would be spared the incessant politico-babble on TV and radio - and the mountains of printed matter appearing in letter boxes.

Would be politicians would also be forced to condense their election spiel to a more concise format to fit within the monetary guidelines - and the other great factor that would apply to such a scheme - it would be fair !

Every contestant - both independents and political party hacks - would compete for public acceptance on the same financial footing.

But then - when did a fair go apply to politics ?