Queensland election 2017: LNP tracks down ‘missing’ names of donors

THE LNP has moved to neutralise Labor attacks over the missing identities of those behind a combined $100,000 in donations received by the party, tracking down all but three donors.

Queensland Opposition leader Tim Nicholl. Picture: AAP Image/Regi Varghese

THE LNP has moved to neutralise Labor attacks over the missing identities of those behind a combined $100,000 in donations received by the party, tracking down all but three donors.

LNP Leader Tim Nicholls yesterday revealed the party had managed to track down the names of those behind about $95,000 in donations the LNP received between January 2014 and early 2015.

Just who they are is still yet to be publicly revealed, however.

The LNP was required to declare the identities of the donors after Labor won Government at the January 2015 election and retrospectively reduced the donation declaration threshold back to $1000 from the $12,800 threshold the former Newman government had introduced.

TODAY’S POLL QUESTION

The identity of three donors behind $4650 in donations remain outstanding with the ECQ informing the LNP last week it was satisfied the party had complied with its obligations.

“We’ve satisfied all of the requirements of the Electoral Commission of Queensland and we will continue to comply with the requirements of the Electoral Commission of Queensland,” Mr Nicholls said of the declarations.

He could not say who the donors were when questioned yesterday, however, insisting it was a matter for the party.

A court case between the ECQ and the LNP over whether the party should have to declare donations made to its Federal candidates in line with the state’s $1000 declaration threshold rather than the Commonwealth’s threshold of $13,800.

It came as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was herself blindsided by a donation issue while she attempted to announce a new solar policy in North Queensland yesterday.

In a case of poor timing for the Premier, it was revealed PriceWaterhouseCoopers had declared a $2058 donation to Labor on November 3, the same day Ms Palaszczuk revealed a conflict of interest over her partner Shaun Drabsch’s work with the firm.

Ms Palaszczuk announced that day that she was going to veto Adani’s application for taxpayer funds through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund amid revelations Mr Drabsch was working on the application in his role with PwC.

“The contribution of $2058 from PwC disclosed by the ALP was for a long-planned lunch with Kate Jones in the PwC boardroom. The cost was their catering bill, not a cash donation,” a spokesman for Ms Palaszczuk said.

Ms Palaszczuk also revealed she was yet to personally speak with Adani following her decision to veto their NAIF application.

“My office has already spoken to them. They spoke with them on that day. They speak with companies all the time,” she said.

Originally published as Queensland election 2017: LNP tracks down ‘missing’ names of donors