Deputy Premier John Barilaro’s wife Deanna Barilaro accused of breaking electoral laws
NEW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has been grilled in parliament over political donations made by his wife, Deanna Barilaro, while she was a director of a development company.
NSW
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NEW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has been grilled in parliament over political donations made by his wife while she was a director of a development company.
The wife of new Deputy Premier John Barilaro has been accused in parliament of breaking electoral laws by making political donations while a director of a development company.
Deanna Barilaro became director of two companies, Kotsobola Group and Euro Partners, in 2012 when Mr Barilaro resigned his directorship of the companies having become the MP for Monaro in 2012.
Electoral returns dug up by the Opposition show that $8810 was donated by Mrs Barilaro to the National Party in 2014-2015 in two separate donations.
They also show Mr Barilaro listed the two companies in parliament’s pecuniary register as being involved in “development/property interest”.
Asked by the opposition’s planning spokesman Michael Daley in Question Time today whether he could confirm that the companies were development firms and that Mrs Barilaro was a director and had made donations, Mr Barilaro would only say: “In relation to political donations and electoral funding, those questions should be directed to the organisation — the National Party.”
Contacted for further comment, Mr Barilaro’s office declined to answer further questions and referred the matter to the NSW Nationals’ head office.
The Nationals’s state director Nathan Quigley said he was gathering evidence which showed that the company did not meet the definition of a prohibited donor as it had only made one development application in NSW and one in the ACT.
The legislation banning developers requires that DAs be regularly made for a company to be classified as a developer.
“Prior to the 2015 election, the NSW Nationals made a determination that Mr Barilaro and his wife Deanna were not considered property developers under the Expenditure and Disclosures Act,” a statement from the National party said.
“Under NSW Law, the onus is on Political Parties to determine whether a donor is a prohibited donor.
“We have reviewed that determination again today and we stand by our assessment.”
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