Steven Marshall refutes claims large donations will influence SA Liberals

OPPOSITION Leader Steven Marshall has categorically rejected suggestions that donations from a Chinese businesswoman have affected Liberal Party policy.

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OPPOSITION Leader Steven Marshall has categorically rejected suggestions that donations from a Chinese businesswoman have affected Liberal Party policy.

Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis has again raised questions about the relationship between mining company owner Sally Zou and the SA Liberals.

Ms Zou has been a major donor and last week released an image on social media of a $1.2 million cheque made out to the party.

Mr Marshall says it has not been received, amid doubts about its authenticity.

He said the Liberals had nothing to hide and Labor was “muckraking”.

“It’s straight back to the Labor playbook,” he said.

“The polls open and you can just cue the Labor smear campaign. It’s happened in every jurisdiction around Australia. We’re running a straight race, all the way through to March 17.

“We reject all of these desperate Labor accusations.

“Unlike Labor, the Liberals’ policy agenda is never up for sale,” he said.

“I think the donors to the Liberal Party want one thing — they want a better government for SA.”

Liberal leader Steven Marshall waiting to vote at the pre-poll booth at the Glynde Lutheran Church on Tuesday. AAP Image/MATT LOXTON

It has also emerged that a former Labor minister running in the state’s most marginal seat, Tom Kenyon, made a failed attempt to obtain a donation from Ms Zou.

On Monday, Premier Jay Weatherill said Labor had not asked her for any money.

On Tuesday, Mr Weatherill said he did not know about Mr Kenyon’s attempt before it was made public. He described it as “silly” and “a bit cheeky” but said Mr Kenyon would not face any recriminations.

Ms Zou has donated heavily to the Liberal Party at state and federal levels since late 2015.

Mr Weatherill said if Ms Zou’s $1.2 million donation was delivered to the Liberals “plus $800,000” previously donated, “that buys a political party”.

Sally Zou

Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis

Mr Koutsantonis questioned whether the Liberals’ plan for an airport was influenced by Ms Zou. He said “sources” had told Labor that Ms Zou attempted to give a car to Mr Marshall, a claim that has been rejected.

Mr Koutsantonis said “South Australians will come to their own conclusions” about Ms Zou’s influence unless Mr Marshall gave a full explanation.

He added that the facts now public were “weird” and “creepy”.

Mr Marshall has confirmed Ms Zou has attended functions at his house.

Federal Labor Leader Bill Shorten, who visited Adelaide for an announcement with Mr Weatherill, was asked whether he was concerned about Chinese nationals making donations to political parties.

He said there “seems to be in the South Australian election, an extraordinary amount of money ... by any state election standard coming in from particular sources and the lack of transparency around that is deeply disturbing”.