United Bermuda Party Deputy Leader Trevor Moniz has welcomed independent MP Wayne Furbert's call for large donations to political parties to be disclosed.

Earlier this week Mr. Furbert said openness was needed to make sure Government influence wasn't being bought.

Mr. Moniz said his party had not formally discussed the issue at caucus but supported the idea in principle.

Earlier this week Progressive Labour Party Chairman David Burt gave his personal backing to Mr. Furbert's motion which could be debated as early as today.

Mr. Moniz said: "I have always supported all of these things starting from the register of interests in the mid 1990s. Campaign financing reporting is a dimension of that and was raised at the time. It's interesting to see Mr. Furbert come forward with this at this time it is worthy of consideration.

"And it is good to see the chairman of the PLP taking such a positive approach to it."

Mr. Moniz said he hoped the parties could work together on the issue and he said that other good governance measures needed to be adopted including strengthening the register of interests, freedom of information laws and anti-corruption legislation.

Mr. Furbert's motion reads: "That this Honourable House establish a Joint Select Committee to consider political campaign financing legislation to ensure responsibility, accountability and transparency within the political process."

The ex-United Bermuda Party Leader said donations to his former party had included six figure sums but he stopped short of saying what the threshold should be for making donations public.

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