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Ginninderra candidate Kim Huynh donates $10,000 in election returns

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ACT Election votes were still being tallied on Thursday while the independent candidate for Ginninderra, Kim Huynh, was delivering on an election promise. 

The first-time candidate secured the most votes of any micro-party or independent and won more than five per cent votes cast in his electorate.  

Portrait of Kim 'Kimbo' Huynh who will donate half of the $20K in public funding he received during the election to ...
Portrait of Kim 'Kimbo' Huynh who will donate half of the $20K in public funding he received during the election to Canberra City Care and Hands Across Canberra Photo: Rohan Thomson

He was "over the moon" about the result.

Exceeding the 4 per cent threshold with 2,332 first preference votes as of Thursday meant Mr Huynh was eligible to receive $18,656 and pledged to donate half of all his returns to a local charity. 

Kim 'Kimbo' Huynh, with Hands Across Canberra CEO Peter Gordon and Canberra City Care Operations Manager Danielle Bate.
Kim 'Kimbo' Huynh, with Hands Across Canberra CEO Peter Gordon and Canberra City Care Operations Manager Danielle Bate. Photo: Rohan Thomson

Dressed in the Belco's Batman cape he campaigned in, he handed a big cheque for $10,000 to Canberra City Care in Charnwood. 

"I am going to get double the amount I spent on the campaign through public funding," he said. 

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"It is an obscene amount of money. It would be unconscionable to keep it. It will make a much bigger difference to people in need."

Throughout his campaign, Mr Huynh stressed his goal to be "a decent politician" and publicly criticised the fourfold increase in election funding from the $2 per vote rate in place during the 2012 election.

A Kim Huynh ACT election 2016 campaign poster.
A Kim Huynh ACT election 2016 campaign poster.  Photo: Supplied

"I am really happy to have done well so I can help out the local community, but hopefully doing this will raise awareness about the situation," he said. 

"The major parties are guaranteed to make a profit from an election where others make a loss which seems very undemocratic." 

As of Thursday morning ACT Labor had 92,154 first preference votes (worth $737, 232),Canberra Liberals had 88,125 (worth $705,000) and ACT Greens had 24,498 (worth $195,984)

Mr Huynh called on newly elected Legislative Assembly members to revise the inflated public funding rate and reinstate a cap on political donation levels.  

"Confidence in government and membership to major parties is historically low. But to make up for that the major parties colluded to take more money from us so they can run their campaigns - four times as much," he said. 

"It is preposterous. We need to do it better and cheaper and not tax the taxpayer." 

Canberra City Care operations manager Danielle Bate welcomed the donation saying it would be put toward building a garden and commercial kitchen over the next six months.

It is envisaged fresh food grown in the new garden and meals prepared by clients taking part in hospitality training offered in partnership with OzHarvest in the new kitchen will support the non-profit's food pantry service. 

Ms Bate said Thursday's donation brought the organisation had a fundraising total of $60,000 to put toward the $100,000 project. 

"I really admire him for being willing to do this," she said.

"His role is to be a representative for his community but you know it was a real surprise to get this phone call. I think it is an honourable thing, to be honest about what he genuinely needs.

"We are so grateful, and it has been great to see a variety of groups get on board to try and make this project happen."