Queensland election: Miners get in first over poll complaint

Queensland Resources Council has been forced to register as a third party with the state’s Electoral Commission following complaints from the Greens.

Greens MP Michael Berkman says the QRC’s ‘dodgy campaign against the Greens’ had been exposed’. Picture: Josh Woning

The Queensland Resources Council has been forced to register as a third party with the state’s Electoral Commission following complaints from the Greens after the mining body launched an advertising blitz against them ahead of the October 31 election.

The QRC is running a campaign against the Greens in inner-city seats in Brisbane. On Friday the Greens foreshadowed a complaint to the ECQ.

But before the Greens could do so, the QRC registered as a third party after consulting the commission.

The requirement to register means the QRC must now disclose the cost of its anti-Greens campaign, which includes letterbox drops and billboards in the inner city where the party has the best chance of increasing seats from the current one.

The QRC said it had not registered as a third party because the guidelines were ambiguous, and only referred to when a third party “makes donations or ­incurs electoral expenditure in support of candidates or registered political parties”.

The QRC said the commission had conceded its website did not mention opposition to political parties, only support, and that the guidelines would be changed.

But a statement from the commission said the QRC had submitted its registration within 24 hours of being notified of the potential requirement, and as such the ECQ did not intend taking any further action “at this point in time”.

Registration as a third party is necessary if an individual or ­entity spends more than $6000 in an election.

At issue is the Greens economic policy, which is based around increasing by up to five times the amount of money ­mining companies pay in ­royalties.

This would result in the current projection of mining royalties to the Queensland government over the next four years rising from $18bn to $73bn under the Greens policy.

While a Greens victory in the election is highly unlikely, their policies could be important in the event of a minority government where they hold the balance of power.

The Greens on Friday claimed victory, with its one MP, Michael Berkman, saying the QRC’s “dodgy campaign against the Greens” had been exposed.