Calls increase for all donations to political parties to be banned

All donations to political parties should be banned, Queensland’s peak body for the property development industry has argued.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introduced legislation to ban property developer donations at a state and local government level, following the Crime and Corruption Commission’s Operation Belcarra, which investigated corruption allegations, and recommended a council ban.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introduced a bill to ban property developer donations at a local and state government level, but it has lapsed upon the dissolution of the Parliament.Credit: AAP/ Darren England

But Urban Development Institute of Australia Queensland chief executive Marina Vit said the institute did not support discrimination against a particular industry or profession.

"It is the stance of the institute that all donations to political parties should be banned," she wrote in a submission to the committee that was considering the bill.

“The bill singles out one industry and in doing so maligns the reputation of the industry.

“Many entities, including mining, unions, medical and infrastructure make financial contributions to political candidates and parties.

“To exclude only property developers is to besmirch the development industry as a whole.”

Ms Vit complained the bill was prepared with undue haste.

“We support transparency and advocate for a solution that achieves this without discrimination,” she said.

In response to the UDIA calls to ban all donations to political parties, Ms Palaszczuk instead spoke about the legislation to ban developer donations, and said she had expanded the CCC’s recommendation to include state government to avoid accusations of different standards.

CCC chairman Alan MacSporran said extending the ban to state elections involved a degree of departure from the Belcarra report recommendations, but he did not disagree there was a risk of corruption and undue influence at the state government level due to its role in planning.

But he said the Belcarra report recommendations were as a result of a detailed inquiry into local government.

“The inquiry terms of reference did not include state elections,” Mr MacSporran said in a submission.

“Consequently, the Belcarra report recommendations did not involve any detailed specific consideration of corruption risks in state elections and decision-making.”

As the bill to ban property developer donations had not passed when the election was called on October 29, it would need to be reintroduced in the next Parliament.

Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls wants more consultation with the CCC over the proposed bill to ban property developer donations at a state and local level.Credit: Glenn Hunt/AAP

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls left the door open to make changes to the proposed bill.

“I would want to consult with Mr MacSporran before that legislation went any further and make sure the full implication of that legislation was fully understood and it was actually going to achieve what it wanted to do,” he said.

Mr Nicholls said in relation to donations, one sector should not be singled out over others, "particularly when you've got the Labor party being propped up by the union movement".

“If it is to proceed, then it will have to proceed on the basis that it’s a level playing field for all,” he said.

But Ms Palaszczuk said she wanted the legislation to be reintroduced in exactly the same form.

“I’m absolutely determined to bring that in, I think it’s the right thing to do, we need to clean up political donations in this state, and that’s exactly what I intend to do,” she said.

Questioned over whether the bill should extend to banning political cash for access events, Ms Palaszczuk said political parties did need to raise money.

“In relation to events, in this day and age, parties do need to raise funds, but I don’t believe that the practice is widespread,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said all donations to the Labor Party were declared to the Electoral Commission of Queensland.

Mr Nicholls said the LNP raised money from supporters because it did not get funding from the union movement like Labor.

The Queensland Greens want to ban donations from for-profit companies such as property developers, financial institutions, gambling and fossil fuel corporations and ban all cash for access meetings with government ministers and MPs.