Queensland Labor will inflict significant political pain on the LNP opposition with its ban on party donations from property developers, with donations disclosure data indicating roughly nine out of every 10 dollars given by the sector goes to the LNP.
An analysis of real-time donations disclosures at the state level by the Electoral Commission of Queensland by Fairfax Media reveals that since January 2016 $1.3 million has been given to the two political parties by companies with the words "property", "properties", "development" or "developments" in their names.
Of that, more than $1.1 million, or almost 90 per cent, went to the LNP.
The figure underestimates the amount received from the sector, since it does not include companies whose names do not include the search terms used, or donations from individuals who make money from development.
The LNP has received significant income from its own property activities through an in-house company, Altum, which owns industrial property in Brisbane and Gladstone and land on the Sunshine Coast.
Property developers will be banned from donating money to state and local government politicians from today, in the lead-up to a state election that could be held before Christmas.
A "prohibited donor" will include a property developer and their close associates, such as related corporations, directors and their spouses and any industry representative organisation whose members are mainly property developers.
It is unclear how the LNP's in-house property activities will be treated under the legislation.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introduced the Local Government Electoral (Implementing Belcarra) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill on Thursday, and declared the ban would apply retrospectively - taking effect from Thursday before actually passing the Parliament.
The move was prompted by a scathing report into local government by the state's Crime and Corruption Commission.
The CCC found systemic abuses of governance and disclosure regimes by councillors and that there was a strong public perception of undue influence over policy by property developers.
The Premier accepted the report's recommendation to ban donations from the sector to local government candidates and to extend it to the state level, along with 30 other recommendations.
The opposition wanted union donations, a significant source of funding for Labor, to be banned as well.
The legislation mirrors similar laws in NSW, which have been criticised amid evidence donors in that state have found ways to skirt the rules.
