The Nationals got a $55,000 donation from Philip Morris in November 2020, the only Australian political party still taking money from big tobacco.
Labor stopped taking tobacco industry donations in 2004, and Tony Abbott said the Liberals wouldn’t take them any more ahead of the 2013 election.
That’s left the Nats, and occasionally the Liberal Democrats, to get the bulk of donations from the dart lobby. Since 2013, Philip Morris has given $215,942 to various National Party branches.
The Nats aren’t the only party taking money from morally challenged places this cycle. Tabcorp donated $186,940 across Labor and the Coalition, and Sportsbet gave $143,000 split evenly between Labor and the Liberals.
The latest donations cycle also saw an increase in money coming in from various pro-gun lobby groups. That money was only flowing in one direction: towards the Katter’s Australian Party.
The Katter crew received $100,000 from the Queensland Shooters Union, which bills itself as a pro-gun lobby group defending the rights of private firearm owners. It’s the union’s first foray into political donations.
KAP also got $130,000 from the Queensland branch of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia. It has donated to the party consistently over the past few cycles, but its 2020-21 bump is the biggest.
The Firearms Dealers Association of Queensland gave $100,000 to KAP. The association’s president, Robert Nioa, is party leader Bob Katter’s son-in-law.
Again we are observing imported US architecture of influence, and not too new.
Let’s cut to the chase, an old Guardian headline explains well ‘US free market group tries to halt sales of cigarettes in plain packets in UK. Alec, organisation that funds Tea Party members, moves to derail UK government’s proposals‘ (15 July 2012).
Not only is ALEC American Legislative Exchange Council, better known in the US and publicly linked to Koch Network, it also inspired the move for Voter ID laws; another coincidence when both UK Tories and LNP mooted the same several months ago….. one could argue that the Nats especially, often come up with ideas that resonate with ALEC and wedge the Liberals in the coalition to preclude e.g. constraints on fossil fuels….
It is certainly a very depressing situation to think that political parties in this country still take money from the gun, gambling, tobacco and alcohol (don’t forget them) lobbies. The fact that this happens is (like the industries themselves) an utter disgrace.