Yet anyone could see what a lie that is just by checking with the AEC over the years
Finally after decades someone pointed out the lie.
So labor gets donations from Unions and big business... the Liberals do not get Union donations, but the Greens do. Gee I wonder why?AMP and the big four banks heavy donors to Liberals and ALP
The Australian
12:00AM May 2, 2018
Anthony Klan
AMP and the nation’s big banks were at least 12 times more likely than any other of the nation’s biggest 200 listed companies to donate or make other payments to the federal Liberal Party or the ALP last financial year, and their donations were more than double that donated by their peers after adjusting for their size.
Analysis of Australian Electoral Commission disclosures by The Australian shows the CBA, Westpac and ANZ made, by value, 40.2 per cent of the $716,500 in donations and payments to the Liberal Party by ASX 200 companies last financial year, despite making up just 18.1 per cent of all ASX 200 companies by value.
Bill Shorten on Monday attacked the Coalition’s planned company tax cuts, arguing they would amount to “reverse political donations”, but analysis shows the ALP also received an inordinate amount of funding from the big banks, as well as from AMP.
Westpac, ANZ, the CBA and AMP collectively donated $251,000 to the federal ALP in the year to June 30, 2017, representing 33 per cent of all donations to the party from ASX 200 companies, despite those four banks making up only 18.5 per cent of the ASX 200 by value.
Just 10 ASX 200 companies made donations or other payments to the Liberal Party in the year to June, while 20 ASX 200 companies made payments to the federal ALP.
NAB made no donations or other payments to the parties last year, despite being a major donor in previous years.
A spokeswoman said NAB had stopped making “political donations” at the “commonwealth, state and local government level” in May 2016 and now “supported the community directly” in order to “best fulfil” the bank’s “balanced approach to stakeholders”.
Under corporate law, public companies may spend shareholders’ funds only if that spending benefits shareholders.
Representatives of AMP, Westpac and the CBA said the banks did not make “cash donations” but paid to attend fundraisers and other events.
A spokesman for Westpac, which is recorded as having paid $55,500 to the Liberal Party and $28,250 to the ALP last financial year, said the bank paid for tickets to events such as fundraisers and dinners, but did not make “cash donations” to political parties.
A spokesman for CBA, which is recorded has having paid $27,500 to the Liberal Party and $42,150 to the ALP last financial year, also said the bank did not make cash donations to political parties, but that it did pay political parties to attend “policy forums and political events”.
A spokeswoman for AMP, which paid $30,300 to the ALP last year, said the company did not make “direct donations to political parties” but paid to “attend events such as party conferences, to allow for discussion on major policy issues”.
ALP Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen said donations were a matter for the “banks and other companies” making those donations. He said the ALP had consistently called for a royal commission into banks “without fear or favour”.
Treasurer Scott Morrison said: “Questions about donations to the Liberal Party should be directed to the Liberal Party.”
