Both sides use VIP meets to raise funds

POLITICAL parties across the country raise money by providing access to ministers.

POLITICAL parties across the country raise money by providing access to ministers, despite daily revelations in NSW about links between MPs and business and reports that corporate leaders and lobbyists pay up to $22,000 to have VIP meetings with Joe Hockey.

As Queensland’s Liberal Nat­ional Party yesterday defended its use of an art union to raise funds, revealed by The Aus­tralian, it emerged governing parties in several states were running corporate observers programs that provide private meetings with state and federal ministers.

Premier Campbell Newman laughed off concerns the LNP’s art union could be used to bypass disclosure laws for political donations, saying “I’d simply be concerned if people don’t buy tickets — so please buy tickets.’’

LNP president Bruce McIver said the party met all its legal and electoral obligations for the art union, and would buy the BMW prizes once it had raised enough money to turn a profit.

He confirmed the LNP would again seek corporate observers for its state convention — which have previously cost up to $15,000 a head — and offer them meetings with state and federal ministers.

Tony Abbott is listed as one of the keynote speakers for the July convention.

The Australian understands federal Liberal Party director Brian Loughnane will hold an $11,000-a-head business observers’ function in Victoria at the end of next month, which will be attended by federal ministers.

While Victorian government ministers were involved in the last business observer program at State Council, no federal ministers were involved and the Prime Minister did not attend.

In South Australia, the ALP is refusing to disclose the identity of donors behind millions of dollars received by its fundraising entity, SA Progressive Business.

Premier Jay Weatherill would not provide details of ­people he had met through fee-for-access events before the March election but was open to political donation reform.

In Tasmania, both the Labor and Liberal parties run business observer programs at their annual conferences, charging up to $3000, while the state Liberals would not rule out using art ­unions to fund raise.

Additional reporting: John Ferguson, Sarah Martin, Matthew Denholm