Analysis of donation disclosures suggests about 114 companies and lobby groups may have purchased business forum memberships worth $4.7m

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

Fossil fuel giant Santos, two of the major banks and Nine Entertainment were among the big corporates that paid tens of thousands of dollars to mix with Labor and Liberal politicians through party business forums in the lead-up to the 2019 federal election.

The major parties have long relied on business forum and observer programs as a significant source of funds, selling memberships and subscriptions to companies in exchange for access to events, special policy briefings and boardroom meetings.

Paying for business forum memberships typically gives businesses the chance to mingle with leading political figures in both parties, including the prime minister, Scott Morrison.

Liberals under fire for deleting donation record from Morrison ally up for $1bn contract Read more

The forums are decried by critics as an opaque system of cash for access, but businesses say they are a completely legitimate way to discuss and understand party policy, and share the experience, expertise and priorities of industry.

The parties do not typically disclose who has paid for a membership or attended specific events.

But new analysis of the latest donation disclosures by Queensland Greens MP Michael Berkman suggests about 114 companies and lobby groups may have purchased business forum memberships to access the Labor or Liberal parties in 2018-19, worth a total of $4.7m.

“That’s‌ ‌more‌ ‌access‌ ‌than‌ ‌an‌ ‌ordinary‌ ‌person‌ ‌gets‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌lifetime,” Berkman said. “No‌ ‌wonder‌ ‌people‌ ‌are‌ ‌fed‌ ‌up‌ ‌with‌ ‌politics.‌”

Nine Entertainment, the owners of the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, confirmed it paid $27,500 to each party for membership of business forums in 2018-19.

Australian democracy is at risk. If we want to save it, we must all play a part | Katharine Murphy Read more

“We have been a member of both forums for a number of years,” a Nine spokeswoman said. “We work with both sides of parliament on issues which effect our industry.”

Nine was last year criticised for hosting an event for the Liberal party’s business forum, the Australian Business Network, at its Willoughby headquarters.

Santos also confirmed it paid Labor $55,000 and the Liberals $27,500 for business forum memberships. The company said it was also a member of the business forum for the Nationals.

“These forums have transparent membership fees and services, and provide the opportunity to discuss important public policy issues not only with politicians, but with other members of the business community,” a Santos spokeswoman said. “The involvement of a wide range of businesses in these forums helps to ensure that campaign funds are received from multiple sources with wide-ranging policy positions and interests so that no single interest unduly influences the political process.”

Commonwealth Bank and Westpac are also still paying for business forum memberships. Commonwealth Bank paid Labor and the Liberals each $55,000.

Westpac’s annual report says it purchased business forum memberships in the year up to September 2019 as part of its $166,650 total political expenditure.

Other companies that have previously confirmed involvement in business forums include Bupa, PwC, Woodside, the Minerals Council of Australia, Macquarie Group, Optus, Westpac and Pfizer.

Berkman is using the analysis to support his proposal to ban corporate donations in Queensland. His bill is due before Queensland parliament on Tuesday but is unlikely to pass.

“I‌ ‌hope‌ ‌my‌ ‌state‌ ‌colleagues‌ ‌reading‌ ‌this‌ ‌recognise‌ ‌that‌ ‌it’s‌ ‌completely‌ ‌ridiculous‌ ‌to‌ ‌suggest‌ ‌corporations‌ ‌donating‌ ‌to‌ ‌political‌ ‌parties‌ ‌don’t‌ ‌expect‌ ‌anything‌ ‌in‌ ‌return‌ when‌ ‌we’ve‌ ‌got‌ ‌some‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌biggest‌ ‌corporations‌ ‌in‌ ‌Australia‌ ‌paying‌ ‌$27k,‌ ‌$55k‌ ‌and‌ ‌$110k‌ ‌for‌ ‌special‌ ‌meetings.”‌ ‌ ‌