LNP ordered to pay costs after failed secret donations bid

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D’Ath today said that the LNP had been ordered to pay all legal costs racked up by their desperate bid to avoid disclosing donors’ identities.

The Supreme Court has ruled that not only are the Palaszczuk Government’s political donation thresholds valid, but that the LNP must pay for all costs incurred by the Electoral Commission of Queensland in establishing this fact.

“One can only imagine how much their own legal team cost, not to mention the additional costs they must now pay to the ECQ,” Mrs D’Ath said.

“In fact, did the LNP spend more money trying to hide the names of these donors than was actually donated?

“What on earth were they trying to hide that would justify spending this amount of money to fight a basic, decent principle – that voters have a right to know who is donating to political parties?”

Earlier this month Supreme Court Justice David Jackson ruled that the Queensland law – requiring donations of more than $1000 to be disclosed – was valid, and did not conflict with the Commonwealth’s threshold of $13,500.

The LNP had previously argued otherwise, and ECQ took the legal action to force the LNP to release details of an outstanding undeclared $100,000 in donations.

“The LNP were dragged kicking and screaming to the table. It is only right that they must bear the costs for this,” Mrs D’Ath said.

“One of the first acts of the newly-elected Palaszczuk Government in 2015 was to reduce political donation thresholds.

“Then we introduced a real time disclosure system for political donations – the first of its kind in the country.

"Compare this to the LNP at both a State and Federal level who have only ever sought to remove transparency and keep the public in the dark when it comes to knowing who is donating to the LNP and how much.

“This has been a very expensive and desperate exercise for the LNP.

“It’s time for them to not only abide by the court’s ruling but heed what voters are demanding – the openness and transparency that the Palaszczuk Government is providing.”

Media contact: Kirsten MacGregor  0417 675 917