Estimated Reading Time: 1 minutes
Australia’s laws on political donations are under the spotlight after it was revealed Tasmanian Liberals accepted more than $500,000 from gambling lobby groups ahead of last year’s state election.
Industry heavyweights sided with the conservatives in a bid to quash Labor’s plans to eradicate pokies machines from clubs and pubs by 2021.
ALSO READ: ACT GOVERNMENT TO BEGIN POKIES PURGE
The Liberals were rewarded for an aggressive, multi-platform advertising campaign as Will Hodgman won another term as premier.
But only now, 11 months after the March 2018 vote, is the public learning where the money for that campaign came from.
Figures released last Friday show a significant discrepancy between the amounts declared by political parties and the amounts actually donated.
For example, the Liberals reported $160,000 in funding from the Tasmanian Hospitality Association (THA) when the group itself claimed to have poured in $270,000.
This is down to a loophole caused by the $13,500 disclosure threshold for political donations.
The THA reeled off a number of $10,000 deposits in the days leading up to the March 2018 election, but the Liberals did not have to declare any of those funds because each individual contribution was under the threshold.
This kind of ‘dark money’ – i.e. contributions from sources unknown to the public – made up more than half of the Liberal party’s total funding last year.
“It’s another one of these annual reminders we get about how deeply flawed the commonwealth’s donations regime is,” Grattan Institute researcher Danielle Wood told The Guardian.
“The fact that we had a very significant flow of money from one particular industry during an election campaign; people suspected it was there, but the voters of Tasmania are only finding out now, more than a year and a half later.
“It’s unacceptable.”
The Liberals also received around $244,000 in donations from the Federal Group, ECB Leisure, Jonod and Kalis Hospitality – all businesses with significant gaming interests.
More Australian gambling news
Star Entertainment secures $800m funding injection
Star Entertainment has received a cash injection of $800 million in equity amidst a net loss of $1.26 billion for the first half of the...
ILGA chair to head NSW Independent Casino Commission
The government of New South Wales has appointed Philip Crawford, the chairman of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (IGLA), as head of the newly...
Star Casino hits snag over ‘disturbing’ tower design
The Star's plans for a new hotel and residential tower are in tatters after a scathing architectural review of the design.
Woolworths walking away from pokies with ALH-Endeavour merger
Woolworths has decided to step away from the gambling industry by giving up its majority stake in Australia's largest pokies operator, ALH Group.
Woolworths in strife over free drinks at pokies venues
Woolworths' gaming business is facing severe regulatory penalties for a series of illegal incentive schemes designed to keep gamblers at venues longer.
Latest online casino promotions
Get up to $100 bonus cash on Gentlemen’s Night at SlotsMillion
Wednesday is all about the boys at SlotsMillion Online Casino, where male punters can score a 40% bonus match up to $100 on every qualifying...
Pocket up to $100 with the Mucho Vegas Midweek Reload Bonus
Hump Day is here, and that means a 50% deposit match up to $100 with Mucho Vegas Casino's Midweek Reload Bonus. Find out more at...
Score up to 100 free spins every Wednesday at Kahuna Casino
Celebrate Hump Day in style with up to 100 free spins on Boomanji, Fruit Zen and other popular online pokies games at Kahuna Casino every...
Get up to $70 bonus cash every Tuesday at Casino-Mate
If you add $20 or more to your betting account at Casino-Mate.com this Tuesday, you can unlock a Perfect Match deposit bonus of 35 per...
Weekly bonus refunds with Emu Casino’s June Cashback Streak
Emu Casino is giving punters the chance to claim big cashback bonuses every week of June. Find out how you can get in on the...