Tobacco cheque tops MP's undeclared fund

Tobacco cheque tops MP's undeclared fund

THE federal Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella has been linked to a secret Sydney supporters' fund which raised tens of thousands of dollars that was not declared to the Australian Electoral Commission.

None of the cash - which includes $15,000 from British American Tobacco - was disclosed on party returns to the commission, the group admits.

Nor did the group disclose its funds separately as an "associated entity" of the Liberal Party.


A spokesman for the group Friends of Indi, named after Mrs Mirabella's Wangaratta-based electorate, admitted it was a "terrible oversight".

"It's more of an omission than not wanting to meet the disclosure requirements," Tom Robertson said.

Mr Robertson, who works in Sydney's financial services industry and has known Mrs Mirabella from student politics days, said the group's name indicated its support for the electorate and its current MP.

"I don't think that the Victorian division or the head office of the party would be aware of our existence or what we do mainly because we've never seen fit to get in contact with them about it.

"I happen to be a party member. Each of the people at the association is, but it's not set up primarily to provide money to the party. We prefer to engage in more direct action."

The Liberals' party finance chairman for the Indi area, Andrew Randall, had not heard of the group but said he would be "most appreciative" to receive its fund-raising results, including the tobacco company's cheque.

Mrs Mirabella said she was familiar with the group and believed it was registered with the commission as an associated entity.

She said of the group: "Just like a lot of political parties, it's a fund-raising support organisation … specifically for the Indi Liberal Party."

The electoral commission confirmed the group had given it no disclosure return as an associated entity. Mr Robertson later said the group intended to disclose its fund-raising activities to the commission.

A British American Tobacco spokesman, Bede Fennell, said he had absolutely no doubt the company's $15,000 cheque was intended for the Liberal Party. "For us that's the main thing. That's why we disclose it. We wouldn't be giving money to bodies that aren't connected to the Liberal Party."

The electoral commission requires political parties, their official support groups, known as associated entities, and donors to reveal political donations each year.

In Victoria, British American Tobacco and Philip Morris gave about $40,000 to the Liberals although the party was required to reveal only a single $10,000 contribution from Philip Morris.

The rest of the Philip Morris donations to the state party were in sums less than $10,000, as was another $3000 British American Tobacco donation, and did not have to be revealed. But the $15,000 offering to the Victorian Liberals in April last year - listed on the company's electoral commission return - has turned the spotlight on the support group.

British American Tobacco is expected to amend its disclosure return to clarify its cheque went directly to the supporters' group.


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