MORE than $10,000 in union memberships were used to fund the living expenses of Labor’s then-candidate for Mundingburra, Coralee O’Rourke, for two months leading up to the state election.

Mrs O’Rourke, now Disabilities Minister, was an employee of the United Voice union between December and February, despite performing no tasks for the organisation.

Payments to Mrs O’Rourke totalled $10,651, according to the Labor Party’s 2014/15 disclosure to the Electoral Commission Queensland.

It is understood a further $14,259 declared by the party as “gifts in kind” from United Voice also related to Mrs O’Rourke’s campaign.

Mrs O’Rourke has said she was employed as a campaign organiser by the union to work on the state election campaign.

A spokeswoman for Mrs O’Rourke yesterday referred to a previous statement in which the Minister said it was “not unusual for unions to support candidates during a campaign, and for candidates to be employed by the union during the campaign period.”

At the time, Mrs O’Rourke was still employed as director of Amaroo Early Childhood Centre and had taken unpaid leave. It’s understood the union also pulled two employees from normal duties to work full-time on the campaigns of Mrs O’Rourke and Labor’s then-candidate for Thuringowa Aaron Harper.

The LNP’s Hinchinbrook MP Andrew Cripps claimed Mrs O’Rourke’s employment was manufactured.

“Not only do I think hard-working union members would be concerned with their money going towards providing short-term employment for ALP election candidates, obviously the union also runs very expensive and extensive political campaigns,” he said.

“It’s obvious this position has been manufactured for the duration of the election campaign for an ALP candidate.”

ALP state secretary Evan Moorhead said it was no surprise a union representing vulnerable workers would support candidates who backed the restoration of rights at work.

“Under the LNP legislation, these donations would have been hidden from Queenslanders,” he said.

“The LNP are still yet to disclose more than $100,000 in donations. Labor has a proud record of supporting disclosure of political donations.”

United Voice did not respond to requests for comment.