LNP Must Disclose Regional Secret Fundraising Plans

Media Release.

Member for Mackay and Deputy Opposition Leader, Tim Mulherin, says the Premier must direct the LNP to release full details of its secret fundraising efforts especially any plans for “fee-for-service” dinners in regional centres.

“Local LNP MPs should say if their party is planning to duplicate its secret Regional Round Table dinner series in regional centres such as Mackay, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton or anywhere else in Queensland,” Mr Mulherin said.

“It is amazing that the LNP Government have continued to defend their “fee for service” dinner on Monday, but would still not reveal who the guests were who coughed up $11,000 for the pleasure of dining with them in Brisbane.

“A ‘fee for service’ dinner suggests those attending are receiving something in return for their $11,000,” Mr Mulherin said.

“It is therefore in the public interest for Queenslanders to know who attended this exclusive dinner — the first in a series of six planned by the LNP.

“If he has nothing to hide the Minister for Agriculture, John McVeigh, who was the main attraction at Monday night’s secret Brisbane dinner, should say whether any more dinner series are being considered, especially in regional centres.

“So far the only thing that is clear about these murky fundraisers is that the LNP is doing all it can to avoid scrutiny and reporting of its fundraising activities.

“Why else would it deliberately stage ‘fee-for-service’ dinners instead of declaring ticket prices to be donations which require reporting to the Electoral Commission of Queensland?

“It is these secret cash-for-access dinners that show just how much we need to resist the LNP’s attacks on the anti-corruption institutions of our state including the Crime and Misconduct Commission and its oversight body, the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee.

“It is the CMC and the PCMC that have been the subject of a full-frontal attack by the Premier, the Treasurer and the Attorney-General in the past week.

“The LNP’s secret dinners are a good reason to maintain the CMC and the PCMC because of the scope for ethical standards to be breached when fundraising is done behind closed doors and at secret locations,” Mr Mulherin said.

View the email correspondence and the invitation for the “fee-for-access” dinners attached.