Chinese mining magnate Sally Zou has tweeted an image of a $1.2 million cheque made out to the SA Liberal Party

CHINESE mining magnate Sally Zou has tweeted out an image of a cheque for $1.2 million, made out to the South Australian Liberal Party.

Adelaide-based Chinese entrepreneur Sally Zou. Picture: Jo-Anna Robinson

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CHINESE mining magnate Sally Zou has tweeted an image of a cheque for $1.2 million, made out to the South Australian Liberal Party.

However, Liberal Leader Steven Marshall says the party has not received a cheque for that sum from Ms Zou - who is by far and away the largest donor to the party’s SA division.

Mr Marshall said on Saturday that he had not spoken to Ms Zou following the tweet but conceded it was “very strange”.

“We’ve received no such cheque. I really can’t explain the tweet. It’s quite a mystery,” he said.

Mr Marshall said he had met with Ms Zou “recently ... certainly in the last six months” but there had been no indication from her that such a large amount of money would be forthcoming.

The image tweeted by Ms Zou on Friday was accompanied with a cryptic statement.

“This is a life-journey wandering the Man, who is met a beautiful accident ... Perhaps is casual transmigration , and this was born, wish you LIBERALS had enough’’.

It appears the tweet, and others sent from her account, have since been deleted.

It is not clear at this stage whether the donation, for $1,212,018, has actually been made.

However, it has prompted SA Best Leader Nick Xenophon to suggest that upper limits on political donations should be introduced after the state election on March 17.

Mr Xenophon did not put forward a specific limit but said anything more than $500,000 could potentially exert “a great degree of political influence”.

“I think this really highlights the need after the election to have some further reform of political funding in our state so that those large donations – whether they’re from big business or big unions – really shouldn’t be allowed,” Mr Xenophon said.

Mr Xenophon said the largest donation to SA Best he could recall was about $120,000.

Sally Zou has tweeted that she donated $1.2 million to the Liberals. Picture: Twitter @sally_ausgold

While large donations need to be declared to the Electoral Commission, the online list is not immediately updated.

Mr Marshall said there were “very strict rules” around disclosing political donations in South Australia.

“It’s for a very good reason that politicians need to be separated out from donations to political parties,” he said.

“We conform with all of the legislation. In fact, I think now with the current legislation, all donations about $5000 need to be immediately reported.”

Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis said Ms Zou’s tweet “raises a lot of questions”.

“What is she seeking to do?” he said.

“She doesn’t have any factories in South Australia, she doesn’t have any mines in South Australia.

“Is it (about) infrastructure, is it privatisation, is it mining leases … is it China?

Liberal Party of Australia, SA Division state director Sascha Meldrum said the “party has not received the donation that you have referred to”.

“We strictly follow the legislation regarding donations which requires donations over $5191 to be disclosed publicly within seven days of receiving it,” she said.

The image tweeted by Ms Zou was of a Commonwealth Bank cheque, with the day and month of the date, and Ms Zou’s signature blurred.

Ms Zou has donated several hundred thousand dollars to the Liberal Party at the State and Federal Level since late 2015.

The Adelaide-based businesswoman, also a major sponsor of the Port Power AFL club, caused heated debate in Federal Parliament over foreign donations last year after establishing the “Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation” which was a proprietary limited company.

The Foreign Minister told Parliament last year she had never heard of the organisation after its existence was revealed by The Advertiser.

Ms Zou frequently praises the Liberal party on Twitter, while also criticising the Labor Party. The Advertiser has attempted to contact Ms Zou.

SALLY ZOU’S LIBERAL LEANINGS

Donations to federal Liberal Party

$100,000 May 19, 2016

$12,000 June 6, 2016

Donations to SA Liberal Party

$50,000 Nov 11, 2015

$50,000 Dec 21, 2015

$20,000 May 9, 2016

$50,000 May 10, 2016

$100,000 May 12, 2016

$50,000 May 26, 2016

$50,000 May 31, 2016

$20,000 Jun 9, 2016

$20,000 Jun 25, 2016

$88,888 Apr 26, 2017

$143,664 May 17, 2017 (including the $88,888)

$81,188.88 Aug 11, 2017

Total: $746,852

Source: Australian Electoral Commission

* Not an exhaustive list.