Queensland election 2017: Greens caught accepting corporate donations

THE Queensland Greens have been caught accepting cash from big business while campaigning for a ban on corporate donors.

Greens Candidate for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon. Picture: Lachie Millard

THE Queensland Greens have been caught accepting cash from big business while campaigning for a ban on corporate donors.

Greens candidate for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon has repeatedly slammed the major parties for accepting donations from the big end of town as she campaigns to wrest the seat off Labor’s Jackie Trad.

But Ms MacMahon yesterday struggled to explain why the Greens have also accepted such cash.

Over three days in June last year, the Queensland Greens accepted four donations of $10,000 from four different companies linked to Victorian businessman, Ian Melrose.

Each payment was below the Federal $13,200 donation disclosure threshold, so the amounts were not revealed through the Australian Electoral Commission, but were declared through Queensland’s lower $1000 threshold.

In the same year, the Queensland Greens also accepted $90,000 from the Australia Greens, which takes corporate donations but does not have to declare receipts under $13,200.

The Queensland Greens also accepted a $50,000 donation from mathematician, investor and high-end gambler Duncan Turpie on November 15 and a $5000 donation from Wotif.com founder Graeme Wood on October 30.

South Brisbane Greens candidate Amy McMahon has slammed the major parties for taking donations from business. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Ms MacMahon said the party was open about taking corporate donations in the past, but insisted this election it would not accept any money from businesses.

She initially said she did not believe the Queensland branch had accepted cash from its national body this campaign, but clarified later after checking it had.

Ms MacMahon said only money donated by individuals to the Australian Greens and checked by its ethics committee was being passed on. But she admitted the Federal $13,200 threshold meant there was no way for the public to check this.

Ms MacMahon also could not explain why people wanting to donate to the Queensland Greens would do so via the Australian Greens, where the higher threshold means their names would not be disclosed.

“I’m not sure why individuals would do that,” she said. “I guess people would go through avenues they know?”

She said the Queensland Greens had turned down about $10,000 in donations from businesses.

“This time we’re walking the walk when it comes to the donations we accept,” she said.

“It’s put us at a disadvantage this election.”

More than $2.7 million in donations, including $1.7 million yet to be reconciled, have been made to political parties since Ms Palaszczuk called the election on October 29, including a $75,000 donation to the LNP from country racing identity Ian McCauley.

To the LNP, the Gulf Coast Agricultural Company donated $60,000, and a company under the name Australia Energy Windfarm donated $40,000.

Village Roadshow gave both the LNP and Labor $50,000 each.

Labor has so far received about $710,000 in donations, according to the Electoral Commission of Queensland’s real-time donation disclosure site.

It lists donations totalling $1.4 million for the LNP.