Zuvele Leschen: AEC finding on BATA donations to "Friends of Indi"
The AEC has released its findings on the non disclosure of donations by BATA to the Federal member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella, 2004 election campaign.
The AEC found that, as money raised by ‘Friends of Indi’ was for the benefit of Mrs Mirabella rather than the Liberal Party, the onus was on either Mrs Mirabella or the Liberal Party – not ‘Friends of Indi’ – to declare the funds.
As a result, the Liberal Party of Victoria has submitted a late return to the AEC, showing an additional $23,514 in undeclared donations to Mrs Mirabella’s campaign.
“As the Chair of the Federal Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, Mrs Mirabella, of all people, should have been aware of this obligation,” the ALP spokesperson for Indi, Zuvele Leschen, said today.
“Knowing that she had received money from this organization (something the local Liberal Party organization was not aware of), she should also have questioned where the money had come from.”
“Either she failed in this basic act of probity or she knew that ‘Friends of Indi’ received money from BATA.”
“If she knew that the money came from BATA – and given that BATA’s own records show that the money was sent to her electorate office, it’s hard to see how she couldn’t have – she should have declared this when she was involved in negotiations with the government over the demise of the tobacco industry.”
“The AEC finding does not let Mrs Mirabella off the hook. It confirms that she should have known about the money, and in that case she should also have known how it was raised.”
“The whole issue raises questions about Mrs Mirabella’s actions during the negotiations over the closure of the tobacco industry.”
“Mrs Mirabella needs to answer these questions if she wishes the matter to be put to rest.”
The AEC found that, as money raised by ‘Friends of Indi’ was for the benefit of Mrs Mirabella rather than the Liberal Party, the onus was on either Mrs Mirabella or the Liberal Party – not ‘Friends of Indi’ – to declare the funds.
As a result, the Liberal Party of Victoria has submitted a late return to the AEC, showing an additional $23,514 in undeclared donations to Mrs Mirabella’s campaign.
“As the Chair of the Federal Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, Mrs Mirabella, of all people, should have been aware of this obligation,” the ALP spokesperson for Indi, Zuvele Leschen, said today.
“Knowing that she had received money from this organization (something the local Liberal Party organization was not aware of), she should also have questioned where the money had come from.”
“Either she failed in this basic act of probity or she knew that ‘Friends of Indi’ received money from BATA.”
“If she knew that the money came from BATA – and given that BATA’s own records show that the money was sent to her electorate office, it’s hard to see how she couldn’t have – she should have declared this when she was involved in negotiations with the government over the demise of the tobacco industry.”
“The AEC finding does not let Mrs Mirabella off the hook. It confirms that she should have known about the money, and in that case she should also have known how it was raised.”
“The whole issue raises questions about Mrs Mirabella’s actions during the negotiations over the closure of the tobacco industry.”
“Mrs Mirabella needs to answer these questions if she wishes the matter to be put to rest.”
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posted by Greg Naylor at
9:05 PM
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