Brown happy to return donation ‘if it’s not clean’

KATINA CURTIS

Kiama MP Matt Brown says he is confident the community knows he runs a clean ship despite one of his campaign donors getting caught up in the ICAC investigation into Wollongong Council.

Development company Wideform was the fifth largest donator to Mr Brown’s campaign for the election last year, giving $7960.

It is working with Glen Tabak’s company Perform Development on Wollongong’s Victoria Square project.

Mr Tabak is being investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption in relation to this development.

However, Mr Brown said there was a big difference between Wideform and Mr Tabak.

Mr Tabak attended at least one of Mr Brown’s fundraising functions, but Mr Brown said he was not sure who had paid for that attendance.

“Am I concerned that a person that has come to one of my functions has been caught up in an ICAC inquiry? Of course I am,” Mr Brown said.

“If I was concerned about the integrity of a person who attended a function of mine, I would not have invited him.”

He said he would return the donations to Wideform if it was shown the company had acted inappropriately.

“To ensure that the system is seen as clean I would be more than happy to give the money back,” he said.

Mr Brown understood the community’s concerns given the seriousness of the allegations under investigation, but said the donation was accepted in good faith and he had followed the law in disclosing it.

“I’m quite relaxed in that my donations are disclosed and there are no allegations against me,” he said.

“All I would ask is that people judge me on facts and on history.

“I am pleased with the support the community has given me. People of this town know I run a clean ship and I would never jeopardise their faith in me.”