Electoral Commission Queensland’s live donor register reveals donations made on Gold Coast
THE Electoral Commission of Queensland’s new “live” donations register has revealed which Gold Coasers have so far registered donations to political candidates and parties. Here are the politically generous people in your electorate:
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THE Electoral Commission of Queensland’s new “live” donations register has revealed which Gold Coast businesses and their people have so far registered donations to political candidates and parties.
Many more donations are set to pop up on the website next week with parties likely to take advantage of a seven-day lag in the system which means donations logged this week are not revealed until after the election.
Overall, Labor had yesterday logged $748,166 in donations, the majority coming from unions.
The LNP has registered $1,542,809, largely from individual businesspeople either directly or through their companies.
Listed theme park operator Village Roadshow had a bet each way, donating $50,000 each to Labor and the LNP.
Here are the biggest donors in Gold Coast electorates:
Surfers Paradise
IN John-Paul Langbroek’s electorate of Surfers Paradise, the biggest donor in this campaign is Future Asset Management CEO Gary Scallan, who donated $5000 to the LNP. Entrepreneur Ben Manns has given $4000 to Labor during the campaign. Overall since the register began, the biggest donor in Surfers Paradise is Chinese-Australian developer Wanda Ridong, of the Jewel development, who gifted $15,000 to the LNP last July and hedged their bet with a $5500 boost for Labor. The second highest donation recorded so far has been from Chinese real estate agency Origin Real Estate, which gave $6000 to the LNP last February and Baxter House Pty Ltd, a company owned by property and construction businessman John Siegfried Kearney, which also gave $6000 to the LNP. Mayor Tom Tate donated $1500 to the LNP in that electorate.
Currumbin
IN Currumbin, where the LNP’s Jann Stuckey sits, either donations are low or late to the game, with the highest donation of the electorate so far being $2500 from a James Allen to Labor. This month, former Gold Coast council planner Phil Follent has flicked $2000 each to Labor candidate Georgi Leader and her Labor Party, as well as giving $1000 each to independent candidate Mona Hecke, Greens Broadwater candidate Daniel Kwon and his party.
Bonney
IN new seat Bonney, where Labor’s Rowan Holzberger and the LNP’s Sam O’Connor are going head to head, the LNP received a $20,000 donation from KY United Investment Pty Ltd, the company behind IT-Express and Triling Computers. Yeoman’s Plow Company gave $5000 to Labor, while a James McDonough gave $5000 to the LNP. Building consultant Andrew Morse gifted $5000 to One Nation. Before the campaign, South Brisbane-based Pradella Property Group, currently redeveloping the site of Brisbane’s Skyneedle, donated $14,000 to the LNP in Bonney.
Mermaid Beach
IN Ray Stevens’ territory of Mermaid Beach, lawyer Tony Hickey is the only donor to have registered during the election campaign, donating $1900 to the LNP in the past eight weeks.
Before the campaign however, the biggest donor in the electorate in the past two years is the Australia China Chamber of CEO Inc, which donated $4000 to the LNP last February, while former senate candidate Sue Baynes donated $2000 to Family First. Michael Chen, manager of the Chancellor apartments at Varsity Lakes, has given $2997 to the LNP in the past 10 months.
Broadwater
IN Broadwater, where former LNP Local Government Minister David Crisafulli is taking on Labor policeman Peter Flori, the LNP has logged a $40,000 windfall from Chinese company Australia Energy Windfarm, a company registered in Robina whose directors have addresses in Sanctuary Cove and Calamvale. Another Broadwater resident, Colliers retail investment manager Lachlan McGillivray, donated $10,759.22 to independent Hetty Johnston, running in the Beenleigh-based seat of Macalister. Before the campaign, Brookfield-based developer Commercial Asset Management logged a donation of $20,300 to the LNP, while over-50s developer Halcyon gave $22,000 to Labor. Mr Crisafulli referred questions about the wind farm donation to LNP headquarters, which the Bulletin has contacted for comment.
Burleigh
IN Burleigh, just one donor has registered a donation so far in the campaign — a Te-Wei Yu, who donated $2000 to the LNP. Before the campaign, the highest donation of $2800 came from Palm Beach investment company Flanagan Bros to the LNP, while rich listers Joe and Tony Calabro of bus company Transit Australia Group, each donated $2500 to the LNP last month.
Gaven
AMONG the biggest donations of the election campaign was made in Gaven, where mathematician and gambler Duncan Turpie, whose address is a PO Box in Nerang, dropped $50,000 on the Greens. Garry Goodman, CEO of building services company Eximm Pty Ltd, donated $5000 to the LNP. For the record the highest registered so far was racing identity Ian McCauley’s $75,000 donation to the LNP. Pre-campaign, the electorate’s biggest donation of $10,000 came in August last year from Shun Pty Ltd, a Chinese company that bought the Underwood Marketplace Shopping Centre for $51 million in 2012.
Coomera
IN this northern Gold Coast electorate held by the LNP’s Michael Crandon, the biggest registered donation of the campaign has come from a company which was struck off in 2008. Edgedrift Pty Ltd, whose directors were Thomas Stone and George Gilltrap, donated $4000 to the LNP on November 13. Infrastructure company i2S Solutions also donated $4000 to the LNP during the campaign. Mr Crandon has been contacted for comment.
Southport
IN the seat held by LNP’s Rob Molhoek, the biggest donation so far logged from the campaign has been a combined $10,000 from Francis and Maria Ilich in two separate donations through their companies Blue Point Motors and Ashmore Palms Holiday Village.
Before the campaign, alleged police whistleblower Rick Flori, who is running as an independent, received a $50,000 donation from Optical Superstore boss Ian Melrose.
Theodore
THE biggest donation so far declared for this new electorate came from the parents of Albert incumbent Mark Boothman. James Boothman, who goes by his middle name Peter, donated $30,000 to the LNP on October 30. Coomera boat manufacturing company Telwater Pty Ltd, donated $10,000 to the LNP on November 2 and motorcycling champ Mick Doohan kicked in $2500 to the LNP on November 10.
Mudgeeraba
IN this electorate held by the LNP’s Ros Bates, the biggest donation of the campaign, $10,000 has gone from petrol businessman Stewart Morland to the LNP. One Nation candidate Andrew Liddell got a $1760 boost from First Class Taxis Pty Ltd, while Labor candidate Georgi Leader contributed $1095.05 to her own party on November 7.
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