WHITE SHOE SHUFFLE

Developers banned from political donations but ALP leaves its cosy union funding system in place

PROPERTY developers will be banned from donating to local government candidates and their parties under sweeping anti-corruption laws the State Government says will kill off the “white shoe brigade’’.

But furious Liberal MPs said the new laws, passed yesterday in State Parliament, were nothing more than an ALP political ploy to bash the Gold Coast and its developers.

Southport LNP MP and former city councillor Rob Molhoek said the laws would ensure only the rich and union officials would be able to afford to campaign to become mayor.

“Frankly, I am fed up with the bashing that the Gold Coast and some developers received,” he told Parliament.

The new rules are backed by tough penalties, with anyone found attempting to get around them facing up to 10 years jail.

Election return disclosures show both political parties are backed by developers and have built up multimillion-dollar political campaign war chests.

But the reforms will be devastating for the LNP as the bulk of Labor’s backing is from unions, which will not be banned from donating. CCC investigators after the 2016 council election were told candidates who run for mayor on the Coast need a “bucket of money” to win.

Mayor Tom Tate said he had spent more than $182,000 of his own money on his 2016 campaign.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the laws would help restore confidence in councils.

ONLY wealthy individuals or union-backed candidates will be able to afford to run for Gold Coast council elections after a massive reform package was passed yesterday by State Parliament.

Southport LNP MP and former city councillor Rob Molhoek described the new laws, which ban property developer donations, as “bashing” the Coast and its developers.

But the Palaszczuk Government believes the reforms will renew confidence for ratepayers with councils being investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission and kill off the “white shoe brigade”.

The new rules are backed by tough penalties, with anyone found attempting to get around them facing up to 10 years behind bars.

Mr Molhoek accused the Government of being on a “witch-hunt” and the bills as an “absolute disgrace” after they were rushed through late yesterday.

“Frankly, I am fed up with the bashing that the Gold Coast and some developers received,” he said.

Election return disclosures show both political parties are backed by developers and have built up multimillion-dollar political campaign war chests.

The reforms will be devastating for the LNP as the bulk of Labor’s backing is from unions.

Mr Molhoek told the Parliament: “The concern I have heard from people down the Gold Coast in the last few weeks is that the only people who are going to be able to afford to run in council elections across the state, particularly for mayor, will either be union-backed candidates like Penny Toland where the unions truck money in – or people who are independently wealthy like Tom Tate.

“I am very concerned about this, because the cautious side of me wonders if this is not some conspiracy by the union movement to control our cabinet and decide who sits in the cabinet room and who our Premier is.

“Are they going to start funding mayors across the state so they can control all of the councils across the state as well?”

CCC investigators after the 2016 council election were told candidates who run for mayor on the Coast need a “bucket of money” to win.

The CCC in its report released in October last year found “wealthy self-funded candidates” and those with union and political party backing had an unfair advantage.

Mayor Tom Tate, who appeared at the public hearings, said he had spent more than $182,000 of his own money on his 2016 campaign.

The Bulletin in up to 60 reports after the 2016 poll in the Trojan Council series exposed an LNP bloc which gave some candidates with party membership an advantage over self-funded independents.

After mayoral candidate Toland was accused of perjury in Novem- ber last year – a charge she intends to fight – the LNP put the spotlight on union involvement and $40,000 put into her account.

Mr Molhoek defended the council as the CCC launches an investigation into potential conflict of interests in its dealings with Black Swan Lake, the Bruce Bishop Carpark and major developments.

“I suspect that this latest witchhunt – this new set of rules, these new transparent standards that those on the other side of the House want to keep spruiking – will again find no wrongdoing,” he told Parliament.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Mr Molhoek had a right to an opinion but she defended the laws which gave ministers more power.

“The show cause process that currently exists to allow removal of a councillor is very limited,” she said.

The poor conduct of a council was often so frequent that a Minister had to intervene to restore the confidence of the community, the Premier added.

“Everyone in Queensland must feel disappointed and dismayed at the allegations that continue to surface about councils and councillors.”

The Government had announced $7.4 million would be allocated to the CCC over four years “to ensure they have the resources to deal with whatever they uncover”.

Burleigh MP Michael Hart, who objected to the debate on the laws being shortened, raised concerns about extra powers being given to the Minister.