QUENTIN DEMPSTER: The revelations of developer compromise at Wollongong City Council has devastated the Local Government Association's campaign to resist the State Government taking over many of its planning powers. It adds weight to Planning Minister Frank Sartor's reform proposals for the appointment of expert DA assessment panels.

KEN MORRISON, PROPERTY COUNCIL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: There is a lot more we can do to corruption proof our system, and some of the changes that the Government are talking about will actually do that.

QUENTIN DEMPSTER: Property Council executive director, Ken Morrison, seized on the Wollongong revelations to help secure reform.

KEN MORRISON: Rather than politicians sitting around a political chamber making a decision on a DA, it will be planning experts - independent planning experts - who will make those decisions.

QUENTIN DEMPSTER: But who appoints the expert planning panels? The State Government?

This week, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that in February 2006, Planning Minister Frank Sartor had, in a telephone conversation, asked the chief executive of Stockland Trust Group, Matthew Quinn, if he'd booked a table at a "Re-elect Frank Sartor" dinner. The Herald's inquiries resulted in lawyers at 30 paces. The paper quoted Mr Sartor lawyer's holding Redlich saying that any suggestion Mr Sartor used his position as a Minister to solicit donations for the Australian Labor Party would be false. Mr Sartor told the paper he had no specific recollection of the telephone conversation.

QUENTIN DEMPSTER: Is there a culture in your party, Mr Premier, where Members of Parliament, or potential Members and Ministers, must go out and solicit money from developers and other sources?

MORRIS IEMMA: Look, the issue about political donations - and let me make - I want to make two points about political donations. The first one is that it's not an offence for someone to make a donation. The, the, the issue - the offence is people acting improperly, corruptly or illegally. So, in relation to Mr Brown and Mr Campbell, they received donations. They were disclosed in accordance with the law. The second point I want to make is obvious, and from the matters that have arisen, the change needs to happen and will happen in relation to political donations. And so, in the period ahead, we will turn our minds to the detail of the change. What I can say - what I can say to you today, is that there will be change in relation to the laws around political donations.

QUENTIN DEMPSTER: Does that mean prohibiting or capping developer donations?

MORRIS IEMMA: Well, now you'll get me to the detail. I don't want to shoot from the hip today and say to you what the detail will involve. There will be change to our laws on political donations. Now ...