Queensland to introduce developer donation ban
Laws to ban property developers making donations to political parties will be reintroduced to Queensland Parliament this week.
The state Labor government introduced the legislation to Parliament late last year but did not get the laws passed before the November 25 election.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says legislation banning political donations from developers will be introduced this week.
Photo: Darren England/AAPThe legislation, which will apply retrospectively to last year's campaign, now needs to be reintroduced.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday confirmed the laws would be raised at this week's sitting of Parliament, after suggesting in January they might not be introduced until later in the year.
"We were always going to do this, it was a commitment I gave to the people of this state," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters.
The LNP opposition has flagged a potential legal challenge to the changes.
Queensland LNP President Gary Spence would have to resign under the laws which lapsed last year, because he is technically a developer for the purpose of the legislation.
Ms Palaszczuk said she wasn't worried about a legal challenge from the LNP.
"Let them go ahead and challenge it, this is about being transparent and accountable," she said.
The law change was one of the recommendations out of the Operation Belcarra report which found widespread non-compliance with political donation rules in the 2016 local government elections.
The premier said the laws to be introduced this week would be stage one of her government's response to Belcarra's findings.
Labor officially stopped accepting donations from developers a few days before the bill was introduced last year and called on the LNP to follow suit, which it did.
AAP
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