Every Mackay council election donation revealed as Steve Jackson’s team pulls ahead

If financial gifts and football merchandise could buy your way to a mayorship, a Lenards chicken franchisee would be locked in as the next leader of the Mackay region. See the full list of donations for each team, candidate.

Mayoral candidates for the 2024 Mackay Regional Council (from left): incumbent mayor Greg Williamson, Steve Jackson, and incumbent councillor Laurence Bonaventura, at the Mackay Chamber of Commerce annual mayor's debate. Picture: Heidi Petith

If financial gifts and football merchandise could buy your way to a mayorship, a Lenards chicken franchisee would be locked in as the next leader of the Mackay region.

That is because rugby great Steve ‘Jacko’ Jackson’s political party, Jacko’s Team – Mackay First, is flogging the competition for gifts and cash injections in the lead up to the March 16 election for Mackay Regional Council.

According to Electoral Commission Queensland’s register of donors, the party has raked in 66 gifts totalling $81,726 since mid-November, with the majority tied to auctions littered with signed footballs, jerseys and other memorabilia.

But the team’s actual financial scaffolding could be higher still as ECQ only requires disclosure of gifts worth $500 or more for local government elections.

Compared to Jacko, incumbent mayor Greg Williamson is running a lean campaign with only his Team Greg Williamson crewmates adding to the kitty that as of February 28 tallied $36,000, surpassing his 2020 campaign donations of just over $25,000 towards the now-disbanded Greg Williamson Alliance.

Still, both are fat cats compared to the third mayoral candidate, incumbent councillor Laurence Bonaventura, who is entirely self-funding his campaign with zero donors recorded on ECQ’s register.

Scroll to read the full list of donor disclosures >>>

Jacko’s Team Mackay First

In terms of non-auction related donations, business owner Wade Richards gave $550 on January 24 on top of forking out $50 for raffle tickets on December 8 at a golf day, the same event Scott Thorpe spent $500 on two days earlier to sponsor a hole at.

Regarding auctions, Jacko’s team collected more than $24,000 in entry fees for the League of Legends event at Souths Leagues Club on November 17 with ticket buyers including Anthony Gurdler, Brendan Russell, Gillian Ross, Brendan Jones, Keith Carroll, Brett Reay, Brett Galea, Darren Symons, Sam Kennedy, Dr Raghu Channapati, Lisa Callander, Glen Maclean, David Kirby, Richard Love, party candidates Heath Paton and Mr Keioskie, and Jacko’s own brother Bradley Jackson.

Ms Callander, a business owner, gifted $1300 to pay for the accommodation of the event’s guest speaker NRL legend Ivan Cleary, who lists himself for hire on the celebrityspeakers.com.au website.

There was more than $36,000 worth of auction items declared to the ECQ though it was not entirely clear whether the following donors had contributed the goods or made successful bids for them.

Mackay First party members hoping to be elected to represent Mackay Regional Council (from left): Ian Christensen, George Christensen, Kylee Stanton, Nathenea MacRae, Steve 'Jacko' Jackson, Lindsay Temple and Namarca Corowa. Absent were Heath Paton, Jeff Keioskie, Keith Hicks and Melissa Fowler. Picture: Heidi Petith

The donations included Ms Callander’s $5000 for Shane Warne memorabilia; ABC Heavy Engineering’s $3000 framed double jersey from the 2022 State of Origin; Chris Vella’s $2250 framed Panthers jersey; David Kirby’s $2200 and Craig Parkinson’s $1000 for generators; Anthony Von Stanke’s $2000 Seiko watch; Kerrod Toby’s $2100 Indigenous jersey; Shane Stewart’s $1700 for Dolphin and Wallabies jerseys; Damian Muscat’s $1650 signed TBirds jacket; Kaye Gurdler’s $1500 framed Taylor Swift memorabilia; Ryan Patton’s $1500 signed Pele boot; Anthony Gurdler’s $1100 ball signed by Tiger Woods; David John Kirby’s $1000 Lakers jersey; Sharon Maclean’s $1000 signed Panthers lithograph; and Cameron Welsh’s $800 Holden racing wing.

There was also $500 from John McDonald,$200 from Glen Maclean, $62 from Brendan Russell, $55 from Richard Love and $50 from Scott Thorpe for signed balls; party candidate Melissa Flower’s $1500 of coffee vouchers, Dr Channapati’s $1234 dental work voucher; Jacko’s $3180 for Dolphin and Indigenous jerseys, four Lenards chicken vouchers and a Seiko watch; Rohan Warwick’s $750 Winx Cox Plate; and Gillian Ross’ $310 mowing voucher.

The auction trend continued in December with Aaron Insch coughing up $7000 for sporting memorabilia, and in February 22, there was a further $5000 worth of charity actions.

Donors included Broken Ballerina charity founder Jules Thompson’s $500 for a signed Melbourne Storm print and a $750 golf bag signed by Sam Burgess; John Van Polen’s $1100 towards a signed Brisbane Lions jersey and framed Tim Tszyu promotion card; Zoe Thompson’s $750 Craig Lowndes print; and Richard Brunker’s $600 signed Queensland jersey.

There was also a $525 Star Trek frame donation from a Nadine Keioskie who this publication understands is actually party candidate Nathanea Macrae – as the daughter of Jeff Keioskie.

Team Greg Williamson members (from left): Ash-Lee Johnson, Joshua Thornton, Neil Wallace, Greg Williamson, Stephen Cutting, Karen May, Peter Freeleagus and Michelle Green. Picture: Facebook

Team Greg Williamson

Incumbent deputy mayor Karen May has contributed $5000 to the team’s election campaign as have fellow councillor candidates Michelle Green, Peter Freeleagus, Joshua Thornton, Stephen Cutting, and Neil Wallace.

The team’s youngest candidate Ash-lee Johnson tipped slightly more into the coffers with her $6000 contribution.

Independent councillor candidate Alison Jones

Alison Jones is the only independent councillor running for Mackay Regional Council with registered donors.

They include M2 Signs’ Matthew Cusack’s $1000 gift on January 18 for three weeks of advertising with Deon Attard also chipping in $200 on the same day.

Editor’s note:

This story originally said Lisa Callander made a $1300 donation to pay for Ivan Cleary’s speaker fees. The $1300 was actually for his accommodation.