Qld: Labor steps up challenge to LNP on business fundraisers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2009
Qld: Labor steps up challenge to LNP on business fundraisers

(Eds: Takes in ke Fundraiser)



By Gabrielle Dunlevy

BRISBANE, Aug 3 AAP - A list of companies that attended this year's Queensland Labor
Party conference has been released, and Premier Anna Bligh has challenged the opposition
to do the same.

Ms Bligh, who has already called on the opposition to match her ban on fundraising
dinners, said the Liberal National Party (LNP) should prove its commitment to transparency
and reveal the business observers who attended its July state conference.

She also called on former opposition leader Lawrence Springborg to release the guest
list from a $20,000 a head fundraising dinner held in March, believed to be the most expensive
in the state's history.

The ALP list released on Monday only named the companies, which included AGL, Allianz
Australia Insurance, Coles Myer Limited, CSR Limited, Hawker Britton, John Holland Pty,
Leighton Contractors, and Woolworths Limited.

Asked to release the details of other Labor functions, Ms Bligh said she was "happy
to look at that".

"All sides of politics have to pull their weight, and that means the LNP has to step
up to the plate," the premier told reporters in Brisbane on Monday.

"We can only debate this publicly if we have full transparency."

Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek said he supported a more "methodical" approach
to the reforms.

"If Anna Bligh wants to rule out taking any more money from unions, then I'm happy
in a bipartisan way to sit down with her and see how we can stop this perception of cash
for contact," Mr Langbroek told reporters.

One of three federal ALP presidents, Ms Bligh has urged all levels and all sides of
politics to consider banning fundraising functions with business, a move she announced
for Queensland Labor MPs on Sunday.

Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull agreed it had to be done across all levels
of government, but questioned Ms Bligh's timing.

"You can have Anna Bligh suddenly getting religion ... but if they're serious, they
(Labor) know there is a leader of the opposition who is passionately committed, and has
been for many years, to root and branch campaign finance reform," Mr Turnbull told reporters
on the Gold Coast.

Meanwhile, Ms Bligh defended two ministers accused of failing to declare dealings over
a controversial $1.5 billion resort development.

Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe and Local Government Minister
Desley Boyle reportedly kept a 2005 meeting about a Sunshine Coast development secret.

There are also claims the premier's chief-of-staff Mike Kaiser is linked to the same
development, called Rainbow Shores at Inskip Point on the Fraser Coast, north of Brisbane.

Ms Bligh defended the ministers, saying Mr Hinchliffe told parliament of his involvement
in the project when elevated to the ministry this year and would not be present when cabinet
made a decision on the proposal.

Mr Langbroek said he hadn't asked his MPs if they had any links with lobbyists, but
welcomed any investigation.

"I just make the point, without having to ask them, that everything had better be okay
because unlike the Labor side, we'll make sure they're not staying in our team," he said.

AAP gd/pjo/jfm/jlw

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