SA Election 2018: Cracking the Sally Zou Code — what mining magnate’s $1.2m cheque to the Liberals really signifies
MINING magnate Sally Zou’s mysterious tweet of a $1,212,018 cheque made out to the SA Liberal Party baffled everyone — but now code-crackers have worked out it represents a very special date for Steven Marshall.
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- Sally Zou tweets image of a $1.2m cheque made out to SA Liberals
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MINING magnate Sally Zou’s mysterious tweet of a $1,212,018 cheque made out to the SA Liberal Party baffled everyone — but now code-crackers have worked out it signifies Opposition Leader Steven Marshall’s 50th birthday.
Ms Zou last week tweeted an image of a cheque for $1.2 million, made out to the South Australian Liberal Party, along with a cryptic message that included the phrase “Perhaps is casual transmigration, and this was born”.
The tweet has since been deleted.
But upon closer inspection, the dollar amount of $1,212,018 also represents the date (in American style where the month comes first) 1/21/2018 — or Mr Marshall’s birthday.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed by some South Australian politicians.
BREAKING: @sally_ausgold $1.2 million cheque in honour of glorious leader Steven Marshall’s birthday. Gets more bizarre by the minute. #SAVotes2018 pic.twitter.com/sGWFwSeJiH
— Tom Koutsantonis (@TKoutsantonisMP) March 5, 2018
Earlier, Premier Jay Weatherill said Labor would not take a donation of that magnitude from an individual, but has stopped short of saying the Liberals should not accept it.
If it shows up.
Leader Steven Marshall says the party hasn’t received the donation but confirmed he had met with Ms Zou, including at his home.
Mr Weatherill said on Monday morning that he had not held meetings with Ms Zou, but may have met her at functions.
He said Labor had not received any donations from Ms Zou and had not sought any.
“I’ve never had more than a few words with her,” Mr Weatherill said.
He would not say if he believed the Liberal Party should reject the cheque from Ms Zou, if it is forthcoming, saying only: “That’s a matter for them”.
Asked if the Labor Party would accept a similar donation from an individual, Mr Weatherill said: “No”.
The party has received about $1 million in collective negotiations from the union representing shop workers in SA.
Ms Zou’s tweet 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 Weatherill said the state already had “the strictest donation regime in the nation”.
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.
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