2 February 2009

ALP has lots of friends... other parties less so in the annual returns

| johnboy
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The Australian Electoral Commission has released the returns to its periodic disclosure system.

So going through and looking for donations to ACT branches of parties in 2007/8 here’s what we find (Individual Receipts are only listed when they exceed $10,500):

    ACT Greens

    Total Receipts: $410,939.00
    Total Payments: $304,992.00
    Total Debts: $14,025.00

    Individual Receipts:

    Australian Greens – TAS – $20,000.00
    Electrical Trades Union- Southern States Branch – 20,000.00
    Australian Electoral Commission – $166,000.00

    ACT Democrats

    Receipts: $2,018.00
    Payments: $4,928.00

    Individual Receipts:

    None

    Labor Party, ACT Branch

    Total Receipts: $1,183,748.00
    Total Payments: $802,740.00
    Total Debts: $24,929.00

    Individual Receipts:

    ACT Left Caucus, C/O- Sarah Schoonwater – $12,000.00
    AMWU – $2,987.60
    Canberra Labor Club Ltd – $558,128.00
    Canberra Tradesmens Club – $10,000.00
    CFMEU – $5,105.10
    Consolidated Builders Limited- $6,000.00
    Consolidated Builders Limited – $4,444.00
    Futurepace – $5,000.00
    LHMU National Office – $6,375.60
    Mr David Mathews – $1,500.00
    Mr Wayne Sievers – $1,500.00
    Mr/Ms Chris Sant – $2,000.00
    Ms Joy Burch – $1,699.00
    Ms Tracy Mackey – $1,500.00
    National Australia Bank – $58,976.14
    NUW National Union of Workers NSW – $1,963.50
    Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd – $16,500.00
    SDA NSW Branch – $11,550.00
    TWU Transport Workers Union of NSW – $8,866.55

    Liberal Party – ACT Branch

    Total Receipts: $967,823.09
    Total Payments: $895,075.13
    Total Debts: $11,428.24

    Individual receipts:

    250 Club Limited – $19,988.00
    Dept of Agriculture Fisheries & Forrestry – $88,000.00

    Socialist Alliance – ACT

    None

Sarah Schoonwater for the ALP Left Caucus is interesting because of her power with both the Tradesman’s Club and the CFMEU.

Bear in mind this is (AFAIK) not money given for last year’s ACT election.

Any experts want to explain the $88,000 the Liberals picked up from a Government Department? Office rental?

Also the ABC brings word of developers who contributed to the Liberals: The Village Building Company, Nexus Developers and Doma Constructions.

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Mike Crowther4:30 pm 03 Feb 09

Re: Tom Tom’s comment….”….especially in the case of the CAP who had quite a bit of money behind them.”

We didn’t. Although if people thought we did I take it as a compliment to the party’s planners. sad to say we didnt have anyone shoving the family grocery money into poker machines down at the CAP club and had to scrimp. All candidates sunk a deal of their own money into their campaign either by dipping into savings or selling off assets. (I myself sold my home.) Today’s Canberra Times repeated the lie that Val J. was ‘bankrolled’ by Jim Murphy. Val’s campaign was almost exclusively paid for by Val himself. Murphy didn’t give him cash, but as I understand it, donated slots of TV advertising space which he had previously booked for himself. (with a condition that only Val could utilise them).

Be patient, the deadline to lodge returns in the ACT election was only this week and hopefully everyone will soon be outed. Pity the outing can’t take place before the election but then that’s crazy talk…

Similarly, the National Australia Bank receipt to the ALP is quite probably bank interest, rather than a donation.

Holden Caulfield9:07 am 03 Feb 09

Econman said :

…There certianly wasn’t a section called ‘why we paid the Canberra Liberals’…

Hahaha!

Holden Caulfield said :

So am I the only one wondering why DAFF sent $88K to the Libs?

I must be missing something here, surely?!

I had a look at the DAFF 07/08 annual report, and there is nothing obvious in the usual placed for this type of expenditure. In fact I couldn’t reconcile the listed grants to the grants total in the finacial statement notes either, and admit it just didn’t seem that interesting (the report is really poorly organised and designed to be left unread). The figures on accom are too highly aggregated to get a break down sufficent to identify $88k. There certianly wasn’t a section called ‘why we paid the Canberra Liberals’.
I look forward to seeing what this one is about.

Holden Caulfield said :

So am I the only one wondering why DAFF sent $88K to the Libs?

I must be missing something here, surely?!

Nah, it sticks out like dogs’ balls.

JB noted it in the OP and I suspect his guess about rent is correct. Fairly well-worn territory for political parties to rent their properties out, though slightly weird (if it is the case) for it to be reported here as a donation.

Holden Caulfield11:11 pm 02 Feb 09

So am I the only one wondering why DAFF sent $88K to the Libs?

I must be missing something here, surely?!

Gungahlin Al10:39 pm 02 Feb 09

Caf the regulations you are quoting are for federal election/parties. The ACT EC has a different set of rules.

Econman said :

I am more curious about the NAB donation. Why would they support President Jon over Zed? Wonder if the Territory bank accounts are up for negotiation any time soon.

On further consideration of your post and mine, all I can think is that the ALP is currently in power. The Lib’s aren’t.

Consolidated Builders must be a bit peed off that they have been treated as a body, not an individual. Seems like a bit of effort went into donating two amounts which add up to $56 less than the notifiable individual rate.

Econman said :

I am more curious about the NAB donation. Why would they support President Jon over Zed? Wonder if the Territory bank accounts are up for negotiation any time soon.

Oops, my bad, just realised this was Fed.

I am more curious about the NAB donation. Why would they support President Jon over Zed? Wonder if the Territory bank accounts are up for negotiation any time soon.

I work in Defence Industry and I still can’t figure out Raytheon’s donation. Does seem strange!

dexi said :

Mr Evil: “That’s interesting, one of the world’s largest weapon (and associated systems) manufacturers donates money to the ACT Labor Party – and not a peep out of the far-Left!”

dexi:As long as the weapons are pointed to the right its ok.

At the unity and right ALP factions? Allright! That’s thinking.

I’m surprised that anyone would want to piss money down the drain by donating it to political parties.

fhakk said :

Raytheon? That IS interesting. Former ALP Secretary Matthew Cossey took up an important position with them in November last year, following the ACT election…

Just a coincidence, surely?????

Raytheon? That IS interesting. Former ALP Secretary Matthew Cossey took up an important position with them in November last year, following the ACT election…

dexi said :

As long as the weapons are pointed to the right its ok.

LOL! 🙂

Mr Evil “That’s interesting, one of the world’s largest weapon (and associated systems) manufacturers donates money to the ACT Labor Party – and not a peep out of the far-Left!”

As long as the weapons are pointed to the right its ok.

This, snipped from today’s Crikey, may help to shed some light on why some of the players in the ACT Election aren’t represented:

If you donate directly to a political candidate, you have to report that donation — as long as it’s over $10,500+ — to the Electoral Commission within 15 weeks of polling day, and the AEC compiles them and makes them available 9 weeks later.

But the vast bulk of political donations are to parties themselves. If you donate to a party, even in the lead up to an election, you don’t have to report it until 17 November the following financial year. The AEC then compiles them and makes them available in February. Candidates, political parties and associated entities face similar requirements, albeit with tighter deadlines.

This means that donations made in the lead up to last year’s ACT Election wouldn’t need to be reported until November 17 this year, and won’t be published until this time next year.

I am not sure if tighter timeframes apply to the local rules.

well played

Well captain slow, if they’re not registered for federal elections they’re hardly going to submit returns to the AEC are they?

We’ll have to wait for the ACT numbers.

johnboy said :

This isn’t the ACT EC tom-tom.

thanks captain obvious, they’re still (i assume) registered political parties though and there are plenty of other minor/local parties that have donation disclosures up, it seems odd that these parties are missing, especially in the case of the CAP who had quite a bit of money behind them. it does beg the question have these parties folded or are they just hiding who was putting the money in?

It looks like the ALP are voluntarily disclosing individual donations well below the mandatory $10,500 mark.

ACT Labor Party – Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd – $16,500.00

That’s interesting, one of the world’s largest weapon (and associated systems) manufacturers donates money to the ACT Labor Party – and not a peep out of the far-Left!

This isn’t the ACT EC tom-tom.

It looks like the Libs had plenty of donors, but are being shy about them for some reason.

Whereas many ALP donors are loud and proud.

is there any info for the CAP and motorists party? or any of the other minor parties from last year for that matter?

i can find something for the CDP but nobody else.

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