Qld ministers attend LNP fundraiser with up to $10k admission ticket

Queensland government figures have attended an LNP fundraiser offering donors the opportunity to meet with ministers in 15-minute appointments. The ABC understands participating donors were charged up to $10,500 for a ticket. Several ministers have defended the event, arguing Labor held similar cash-for-access fundraisers when it was in government. Queensland government ministers have defended attending an LNP fundraiser featuring the premier where donors paid up $10,500 to take part. The LNP’s so-called Corporate Observers Program, which was held on Thursday, allowed donors to meet with ministers in allocated 15-minute appointments. The ABC understands those participating in the event were charged $10,500, but if they were a member of the LNP the price was knocked down to $7,500. As he arrived at the event, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the fundraiser was “about talking to businesses”. "We don't have the CFMEU. We need to beat the Labor Party. We don't have big business like the Labor Party. We don't have the union movement," he said. Environment Minister Andrew Powell, who also spoke to the ABC as he turned up at the fundraiser, said all the donations were declared according to the rules. “We said we would do that before the election and we’re doing it,” he said. “All of it is declared as per the rules and we need this to continue to fight the lies and the scare campaigns of the Labor government.” The government has promised all meeting at the fundraiser will be declared in the ministers' publicly available diaries. Premier David Crisafulli attended Thursday’s event, along with most of his ministers. Police Minister Dan Purdie pointed out Labor held similar cash for access fundraisers when it was in office. “This is something that has happened for a long time. The former Labor government did this in government and we said we would continue it,” he said. "We listen to everyone. I listen to the police, and this has been an ongoing thing that all levels of government have done across the divide." Since coming to office, the LNP has overturned the former Labor government’s ban on developers donating to political parties, which it said it would do before the election. Opposition Leader Steven Miles said it was appropriate for Queenslanders to know who was providing the cash and who they were meeting with. “It’s that transparency that can allow Queenslanders to have confidence that their government is acting appropriately,” he said. “[Labor] have a business program where businesses are part of our policy formulation process, and we meet regularly with them.” Asked how much Labor charged for cash for access events when it was in office, Mr Miles did not answer the question and said it should be put to the party’s state secretary.