Annastacia Palaszczuk’s cash-for-access party

Annastacia Palaszczuk and her cabinet will put government on hold next month for a cash-for-access fundraiser with business.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Brisbane on Monday. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Annastacia Palaszczuk and her cabinet will put government on hold next month for a midweek cash-for-access fundraiser with business to raise money for Labor’s federal election campaign.

The $5500-a-head, October 6-7 event will be kicked off with an opening night cocktail party with the Queensland Premier, federal and state MPs, followed by a day of promised “networking” and ­briefings from state ministers.

It will also hear from opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers and, via video link, federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese, and include a plate at the “Premier & Cabinet Lunch’’ – ­attended by the entire state ministry on the last day.

Billed as the “Queensland Business Partnership Network” program, the event is run as part of a fundraising scheme selling ­access to decision-makers that had been banned by Queensland Labor for a decade before being revived by Ms Palaszczuk.

The program has already raised more than $450,000 since the October 31 election, according to public disclosures to the Electoral Commission of Queensland, with businesses paying an $11,000 annual membership fee – which includes others events – or $5500 for next month’s fundraiser.

Industry groups, lobbyists, telcos and banks are among the list of more than 50 organisations – including Telstra, Westpac and Clubs Queensland – to have paid for membership of the program.

The fundraiser next month is sponsored by Labor-leaning law firms Maurice Blackburn and Holding Redlich along with consultancy KPMG, which paid $33,000 – a fraction of the work the firm won from the state government in just the past year.

In a letter touting for businesses to sign up to the program, ALP state secretary Julie-Ann Campbell described the $10,000 annual fee (plus $1000 GST) as an ­“investment”.

“Queensland Labor is committed to providing Queensland business and industry leaders an opportunity to share ideas for a prosperous … economy, through regular engagement, forums and events,’’ she said.

A spokesman for Ms Palas­zczuk made no comment about the Premier and entire ministry attending the fundraiser during a working week but issued a statement saying the government had “increased transparency around political donations”.

“All disclosures are made in ­accordance with the law,’’ it said.

The cash-for-access fundraising technique has been employed by both sides of politics in Queensland, invoking allegations of favouritism to businesses that are involved. Former Labor premier Anna Bligh banned it in 2009, weeks after corruption fighter Tony Fitzgerald QC – who oversaw the 1987 inquiry into systemic police and political corruption – broke a 20-year silence to warn that Queensland was at risk of sliding back into “dark past”.

“Access can now be purchased, patronage is dispensed, mates and supporters are appointed and retired politicians exploit their political connections to obtain success fees for deals between business and government,” he said.

“Neither side of politics is interested in these issues except for short-term political advantage.”

Labor has previously said business forum fundraising would be curtailed from next year, with plans to cap corporate donations in Queensland. But one ALP insider told The Australian it was believed Labor would direct any funds from future forums to the federal division to evade the caps.

The Australian has previously revealed the state’s electoral watchdog is investigating the LNP over funds allegedly traced to property ­developers banned from political donations.