Political party donations: Queensland Nickel single largest donor to PUP

Queensland Nickel, now under voluntary administration, was the single largest donor to the PUP last financial year.

Clive Palmer’s mining company Mineralogy also donated $3.6 million to the Palmer United PartyLyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel, now under voluntary administration, was the single largest donor to the Palmer United Party last financial year, pouring $5.95 million into the party’s coffers.

Financial disclosures for the 2014-15 year reveal the Liberal Party’s largest donation was $4.46m from the Cormack Foundation fundraising body. Corporate donations included $600,000 from Brunswick Property Vic, $315,451 from Vapoid, and $200,000 from each of Ever Bright Group, Pratt Holdings and Hong Kong Kingson Investment.

• 2014-15 annual financial disclosure returns

Labor’s largest donations were $2.95m from the party’s investment vehicle Labor Holdings, and $636,272 from the Progressive Business fundraising vehicle.

The ALP also received more than $1.7m from unions mentioned in the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. They included $711,397 from the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, $183,176 from the Australian Workers Union, $330,793 from the TWU, $29,264 from the HSU and at least $529,805 from the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union.

The Palmer United Party’s disclosures reveal the company was carrying $43,915 in debt despite donations of $5.95m from Queensland Nickel and $3.63m from the Fairfax MP’s flagship firm, Mineralogy.

Another $191,113 was donated by Mr Palmer’s troubled Palmer Coolum Resort, while another company, Palmer Leisure, gave $7775. Mr Palmer donated $2000 in his own name.

The Nationals’ largest donation was $50,000 from the Australian Hotels and Hospitality Association.

The Greens received no union funds, with the single largest contribution from outside the party was $20,000 from a private citizen, Duncan Turpie.

‘A very shabby show’

Scott Morrison turned the furore over Mr Palmer into a call to voters to avoid small parties that promised too much and failed to deliver, writes David Crowe.

“It’s a very shabby, very shabby show that they’re running,” the Treasurer said on radio station 2GB on Monday morning.

“I suppose the warning in all of this is this: at the last election Clive Palmer ran around putting around what he thought were simple answers to complex problems, and people put him on trust and they voted for him.

“Now it’s all fallen apart, it’s all gone down the path that I think some of us always thought it would.

“And there’s a warning in that. If it’s too good to be true it usually is. What he was promising and what he was saying and representing to the Australian people has been laid bare now.

“I would just offer that respectful warning. The Coalition is there to provide strong and stable government in what is some very uncertain financial times.

“We’re making decisions in the national interest. They might not always be popular, but we believe they’re right for the country — not just for today but for years to come.”