Labor stokes fear in cash plea for Dan Andrews’ election campaign
G’day readers and welcome to this week’s edition of Feeding the Chooks, your regular look behind the scenes of Queensland politics. And this column’s focused on cold, hard, cash.
DONATE TO DAN
Victorians go to the polls on November 26, and Queensland Labor is pleading with its members to dig deep and send their hard-earned for Victorian Premier Dan Andrews’ election campaign, or risk the rise of Liberals across the country.
In an email to members and supporters this week, Queensland ALP state secretary Kate Flanders turned to some old-fashioned fearmongering to warn an Andrews defeat could spark a national conservative comeback.
Big call, there are only two Liberal premiers in Australia right now, in NSW and Tasmania.
“The result in Victoria will send a message to the rest of the country,”
Flanders said. “If Dan Andrews and Labor win, it will signal that Australians want their governments to continue to invest in better public transport, better schools and more renewable energy.
“But if the Liberals win, it will be the beginning of a pushback against Labor governments in Canberra, and here at home in Queensland. We can’t let that happen.”
Flanders says a donation of as little as $35 would be used to help the Victorian Labor campaign “scale up its social media advertising and door-to-door efforts in marginal seats”.
WHILE YOU’RE AT IT
Labor branch members are also being asked to cough up – $120 per head or $1200 for a table of 10 – for the pleasure of dining with former prime minister Kevin Rudd.
The event at the Queensland Cricketers’ Club, at the Gabba, is on Sunday evening and is ostensibly a chance for grassroots ALP true believers to celebrate “15 years since Kevin07 and Labor’s historic victory!”
“Let’s celebrate, remember our fantastic movement-wide campaign, and support future success for Labor in Queensland,” the invitation says.
After Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk banned cash-for-access corporate fundraisers for Labor earlier this year, her party now has to mine its members for cash. Money raised will be tipped into QLD Labor’s coffers.
But one of Chooks’ spies says ticket sales are a little slow for the Rudd love-in.
“They’re struggling to reach triple figures,” our correspondent shared.
Another Labor source said the guest list was well past 150. “Someone’s given you bad information. We hit triple figures ages ago,” the source said.
’TIS THE SEASON
If you don’t think the price at Rudd’s event is a fair shake of the donations tin, there’s something else on offer ahead of the festive season.
Why not fork out $45 for “Christmas with Crisafulli,” a cheap-as-chips drinks fundraiser with Liberal National Party Queensland leader David Crisafulli.
The mysteriously named “Central Salon” is hosting the event and describes Crisafulli as “journalist – sugarcane farmer – councillor – minister.”
Chooks is not unkind enough to rehash our long-running beef with Crisafulli over his claims to be a former journalist for The Australian (occasional Townsville basketball correspondent does not count).
The event is being spruiked as “sparkling company at twilight on the upstairs outdoor balconies of the heritage-listed GPO building” in Brisbane’s CBD, and is piggybacking on the council’s festive program. (City Hall lights narrated by Olympian Cate Campbell anyone? How about a spot of Christmas scat jazz in the Queen Street mall?)
So how have fundraising efforts for both major parties fared this year in the Sunshine State? Palaszczuk’s new donation cap came into effect on July 1, making more complicated Queensland’s already complex political funding laws, which ban donations from property developers.
This year so far, Queensland Labor has raised $3,047,647, buttressed by huge chunks of change from the union movement, helpfully funnelled into the ALP’s bank accounts on the eve of the donation cap’s introduction.
Gary Bullock’s United Workers Union tipped in $200k on 30 June, the CEPU Plumbing Division dropped an extra $100,000 on the same day, and the Together Union – which represents public servants – chipped in $72,500 on the 27th of June in seven separate instalments.
Without the benefit of the rivers of gold from the labour movement, and hamstrung by the ban on property developer donations, the LNP has only managed to raise $2.4m so far this year, with its largest donors including James Roche ($50,000), Marland Mushrooms QLD Pty Ltd ($25,000), Quarry Materials Queensland ($25,000), and Zashvin Pty Ltd ($20,000).
CITY SLICKER
Treasurer Cameron Dick used parliament last week to jump on the Opposition leader’s purchase last year of a Brisbane city apartment.
Crisafulli is the member for Broadwater on the Gold Coast, after serving the Newman government in the Townsville-based seat of Mundingburra for one term. He sold his canal-front family home at Hope Island, in his electorate, in April last year, and bought an inner-city unit in the state capital.
At the time, Crisafulli told Chooks that family responsibilities had caused the change and insisted he was “maintaining a presence on both the Gold Coast and in Brisbane”.
But Dick wasn’t so understanding in parliament, using a Dorothy Dixer to smash up Crisafulli for “standing up for Broadwater …(when) he lives 60km away from his electorate”.
The LNP leader had wanted a bigger rail station car park in his electorate but Dick didn’t appear amenable to that request.
“He does not live there. He does not care about them. He lives 60km away. It is just a tool of convenience for his political ambitions.”
MAYORAL AMBITIONS
Staying in Brisbane, and the ALP is opening up expressions of interest for the 2024 Brisbane City Council elections.
Labor needs candidates to run for mayor, and also all unheld Brisbane City Council wards (which is most of them). Former television journalist Patrick Condren was Labor’s unsuccessful mayoral candidate against the Liberal National Party’s Adrian Schrinner at the 2020 council elections.
Schrinner won 47.82 per cent of the vote, compared to Condren’s 30.94 per cent. In 2016, the LNP’s then-mayor, Graham Quirk, won 53.53 per cent to then-Labor contender Rod Harding’s 31.96 per cent.
Condren tells Chooks he won’t be going around again but – in what can only be described as a shameless if unrelated plug for a good cause – will be competing for the third time in the Noosa triathlon next year to raise money for Make a Wish, and wants more donations.
Perhaps former Queensland Labor minister and touted future premier Kate Jones (who retired at the 2020 state election) will make good on a long-rumoured interest in City Hall and put up her hand this time.
And if you are tempted to run for Labor in the Brisbane council elections, according to the party’s rule book, you must live in Brisbane. If you’re a boss, you will be ineligible to run if you’ve ever actively discouraged your workers from joining a union.
You must also be a paid-up union member (if your occupation allows you to be) and you must have been a Labor branch member for at least six months before sticking up your hand.
SPOTTED
Fancy a job selling the Olympics and Paralympics? Annastacia Palaszczuk’s department is advertising the chance to be the media and communications manager for the Brisbane 2032 Taskforce.
The key responsibility is to deliver a “Brisbane 2032 media and communication plan to engage and excite the community”.
According to LinkedIn, nearly 50 people have thrown their hat into the ring since the job was advertised three days ago.
TIP US
As always, we at Feeding the Chooks love a tip. Get in touch:
elkss@theaustralian.com.au
mckennam@theaustralian.com.au
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