Property developers will again be able to make political donations in Queensland state elections, under a quadrupled cap, in a suite of proposed electoral law changes introduced by the Crisafulli LNP government.

Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the laws would also wind back voting rights for some prisoners, and expand the period that election material required authorisation.

During last year’s election campaign, David Crisafulli vowed to unpick the developer donation ban – long opposed by the LNP – and revert state elections to optional preferential voting.

While the latter does not feature in the government’s proposed laws, Frecklington told parliament on Thursday that the bill would make good on the LNP’s campaign promises.

She said removing the developer donation ban would revert what she described as an “electoral financial gerrymander from the former Labor government”.

“[It is] putting trade unions, property developers and anyone else who wants to donate on a level playing field,” she said.

Frecklington said refining the ban to only council elections was more consistent with the Crime and Corruption Commission report recommendation that sparked the ban.

While the ban was challenged by the LNP, the High Court ultimately ruled the laws were valid.

The bill will also essentially lift the cap on political contributions to a party and its candidates by a single donor from $12,000 to $48,000.

This is proposed by changing the capped period from the years between a general election, to each financial year, which Frecklington said aligned with the federal approach.

The previously unannounced shift has sparked swift criticism from the Labor opposition and Greens.

Shadow attorney-general Meaghan Scanlon accused the LNP of arrogance for using its parliamentary majority to lift the donation cap despite not having revealed this to voters.

“At a time when there should be less money and influence in politics, the LNP is giving the top end of town even more influence,” Scanlon said in a statement.

Greens Maiwar MP Michael Berkman said the moves were about the LNP wanting to “line their pockets with developer donations”.

“The state government is making the most crucial decisions that will feed development profits, so I can see no reason why developers shouldn’t be banned from donating at the state level and at council elections,” Berkman said.

University of Queensland professor Graeme Orr, whose research expertise covers the law of politics and elections, said the sudden lift of the donation cap was problematic.

Orr said the LNP seemed to have had second thoughts about optional preferential voting amid heightened national support for right-wing minor party One Nation.

Speaking to journalists after the bill’s introduction, Frecklington said the LNP had committed to the change and would “get to it”.

Other changes to be made by the bill will remove a Labor-introduced ability for prisoners with sentences of up to three years to vote in elections and referendums.

“This is unacceptable, and an insult to the victims right across the state,” Frecklington said, revealing this would be wound back to only those serving sentences of under one year.

“Lawbreakers should not be choosing lawmakers,” she said.

The bill will also make changes to apply donation caps to financial years and allow bank loans to be used to fund election campaign efforts.

Political messaging and materials will need authorisations for a period of 12 months before a state election, with post office boxes able to be used instead of home or business addresses.

The electoral commission would also have oversight of internal party pre-selection ballots removed.

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