ICAC Probe Inches Closer To Abbott
NEIL CHENOWETH
7 May 2014
The Independent Commission Against Corruption’s investigation is inching closer to the Prime Minister’s office. Questions have emerged over Tony Abbott’s role in selecting Karen McNamara as Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Dobell despite doubts over her fund-raising claims.
Mr Abbott was widely reported to be behind the decision by the NSW state executive on April 20, 2012 to appoint McNamara to replace problematic candidate Garry Whitaker. This was three months after senior Liberals received complaints of an unreported donation on the central coast and despite McNamara’s earlier claims of huge fund-raising which did not correspond with party records.
Dobell is the point where ICAC’s investigation of state fund-raising threatens to expand into the federal party. It is also one of the seats where the prime minister had the most intense interest, after losses in the central coast cost Abbott the 2010 election.
It’s not the only danger point. The Liberals are particularly vulnerable to the risk of contagion, because while the federal Labor Party runs its own fund-raising, the federal Liberals depend much more on state divisions to raise funds.
Any investigation of NSW state finances inevitably involves some scrutiny of federal fund-raising. It’s done by the same people, the same structures, there are constant crossovers. John Caputo, who was questioned over cheques he gave to former Energy Minister Chris Hartcher, is Abbott’s chief fund-raiser in Warringah and works with Treasurer Joe Hockey’s funding body.
The string of property developers including Harry Triguboff and Westfield who donated to the Free Enterprise Foundation in 2010-11 say the funds were for the federal Liberal Party, whereas counsel assisting ICAC, Geoffrey Watson, SC, says Millenium Forum executive director Paul Nicolaou told the FEF that many of these donors wished the funds to go to the state party.
More than $400,000 was secretly channelled into the Eightbyfive slush fund operated by Tim Koelma, a former Hartcher staffer. After years of minimal payments to the state party the Free Enterprise Foundation paid out $787,000 to NSW in 2010-11.
MONEY AND VOTES
http://www.afr.com/p/national/icac_probe_inches_closer_to_abbott_tlnRTpGLPgO4FzI08Ha5BO
read in full
Hi Boris, 'Hand Picking' isn't all about 'sex appeal' after all 
Last week, ICAC heard John Caputo, a key campaign fundraiser for both PM Tony Abbott and NSW Premier Mike Baird, has been allegedly passing dodgy donations to disgraced NSW Liberal MP Chris Hartcher that were subsequently laundered. Peter Wicks from Wixxyleaks reports.
IN THE ELECTORATE Tony Abbott shares with NSW Premier Mike Baird, things are heating up at the ICAC hearings.
Peter Wicks 12 May 2014
Missing Liberal donations declared four years later
Anne Davies and Sean Nicholls May 05, 2014
The Liberal Party of NSW last month declared a four-year-old donation of $25,000 from the Warringah Club, a fundraising entity associated with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as well as amending its most recent returns to declare more than $100,000 in political donations including in-kind support to Joe Hockey’s Federal Electoral Committee.
The amended returns were received by the Australian Electoral Commission on April 5, 2014, as the Independent Commission Against Corruption was preparing to begin public hearings into political donations channelled to a company associated with a staff member in the office of Terrigal MP Chris Hartcher, uncovered during Operation Spicer.
It is not clear what prompted the additional disclosures. The Warringah Club, which has now changed its name to the Small Business Club, is considered an associated entity of the Liberal Party and files its own returns as well as featuring in the party returns.
In 2010-11 the NSW Liberal Party declared it had received $50,000 from the Warringah Club, but has now declared another $25,000.
The Warringah Club is operated by accountant Peter Polgar and serves as a fundraising body for Mr Abbott in his electorate of the same name. In 2010-11, an election year, it received $127,142 in funds of which $96,534 came from the Liberal Party’s NSW office. The source of the remainder of the funds was not disclosed but is likely from membership fees and fundraisers. It also channels money back to the Liberal Party by way of donations.
Mr Polgar did not return calls or answer questions on the Club.
Alexander Downer has some answers imo.
Photo ;Alexander Downer (accepting appeal of conscience award on behalf of Howard) and Peter Peterson (later of ALEC..FIX THE DEBT) 2005
