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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Former Brisbane mayor suggested candidate use 'third party' to solicit donations | Former Brisbane mayor suggested candidate use 'third party' to solicit donations |
| (7 months later) | |
| Minutes say Logan mayoral candidate balked at Jim Soorley’s suggestion he seek donations from ‘big suppliers to Logan city’ | |
| Joshua Robertson | |
| Tue 20 Jun 2017 01.02 BST | |
| Last modified on Wed 26 Jul 2017 02.04 BST | |
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| The former Brisbane lord mayor Jim Soorley suggested a Queensland mayoral candidate use a “third party” to solicit donations from large council suppliers. | The former Brisbane lord mayor Jim Soorley suggested a Queensland mayoral candidate use a “third party” to solicit donations from large council suppliers. |
| The Logan mayoral candidate Luke Smith, who is now mayor, balked at the suggestion of his “mentor”, Soorley, that he seek donations from “big suppliers to Logan city”, citing a “fear” of a conflict of interest if he did so, according to minutes of a 2015 campaign meeting. | The Logan mayoral candidate Luke Smith, who is now mayor, balked at the suggestion of his “mentor”, Soorley, that he seek donations from “big suppliers to Logan city”, citing a “fear” of a conflict of interest if he did so, according to minutes of a 2015 campaign meeting. |
| Smith subsequently agreed to make a list of suppliers that Soorley would approach to “start collecting donations”, according to the minutes, tabled in state parliament and a Crime and Corruption Commission inquiry. | Smith subsequently agreed to make a list of suppliers that Soorley would approach to “start collecting donations”, according to the minutes, tabled in state parliament and a Crime and Corruption Commission inquiry. |
| But Soorley, who was listed as the chair of Smith’s mayoral campaign executive, told Guardian Australia that no suppliers were approached in the end because Smith declined to provide a list. | But Soorley, who was listed as the chair of Smith’s mayoral campaign executive, told Guardian Australia that no suppliers were approached in the end because Smith declined to provide a list. |
| He backed the account Smith gave to the CCC in a public hearing last week, when the mayor said council suppliers were not appropriate donors as “it would probably look like I was helping somebody get a contract that they may not have otherwise got, or kept it that way”. | He backed the account Smith gave to the CCC in a public hearing last week, when the mayor said council suppliers were not appropriate donors as “it would probably look like I was helping somebody get a contract that they may not have otherwise got, or kept it that way”. |
| Smith told the CCC the minutes showed he had agreed to make a list of suppliers for Soorley to approach for donations. | Smith told the CCC the minutes showed he had agreed to make a list of suppliers for Soorley to approach for donations. |
| He said he could not remember whether he compiled “any list of that kind” but he “never actually followed through with that action” to enable Soorley to start asking for money. | He said he could not remember whether he compiled “any list of that kind” but he “never actually followed through with that action” to enable Soorley to start asking for money. |
| “That certainly didn’t happen and, as you can see, there were no donors who were contractors to council to my campaign,” Smith said. | “That certainly didn’t happen and, as you can see, there were no donors who were contractors to council to my campaign,” Smith said. |
| He said most of the suggestions in the meetings “never actually happened, and these are just minutes on ideas on how we can move forward to run a healthy campaign and also raise funds”. | He said most of the suggestions in the meetings “never actually happened, and these are just minutes on ideas on how we can move forward to run a healthy campaign and also raise funds”. |
| “I’ve never thought it was appropriate to seek funds from people who have contracts with council.” | “I’ve never thought it was appropriate to seek funds from people who have contracts with council.” |
| Minutes of an executive meeting on 22 April 2015 state that Soorley “advised he was willing to start calling donors and asking them for donations” as soon as a bank account and a “shelf company” called Logan Futures were set up for campaign fundraising. | Minutes of an executive meeting on 22 April 2015 state that Soorley “advised he was willing to start calling donors and asking them for donations” as soon as a bank account and a “shelf company” called Logan Futures were set up for campaign fundraising. |
| Soorley, a Labor party member and chairman of state government-owned corporations Unity Water and CS Energy, then “asked about big suppliers to Logan city council”. | Soorley, a Labor party member and chairman of state government-owned corporations Unity Water and CS Energy, then “asked about big suppliers to Logan city council”. |
| Smith was “hesitant to ask these companies for funding for fear of conflict”, the minutes state. | Smith was “hesitant to ask these companies for funding for fear of conflict”, the minutes state. |
| Soorley then “advised [that Smith] didn’t need to contact, that third parties would be contacting the companies”. | Soorley then “advised [that Smith] didn’t need to contact, that third parties would be contacting the companies”. |
| The minutes then state that Smith was to “compile a list of potential donors and suppliers to Logan city council”. | The minutes then state that Smith was to “compile a list of potential donors and suppliers to Logan city council”. |
| Minutes for the next campaign meeting on 20 May state that this remained an “outstanding task” for Smith. Soorley was also listed as the “task owner” for “[contacting] donors on list to start collecting donations”. | Minutes for the next campaign meeting on 20 May state that this remained an “outstanding task” for Smith. Soorley was also listed as the “task owner” for “[contacting] donors on list to start collecting donations”. |
| Soorley told Guardian Australia that neither man had followed through on these tasks. | Soorley told Guardian Australia that neither man had followed through on these tasks. |
| “Luke said he didn’t want to do the list so no list was done,” he said. “No one was approached.” | “Luke said he didn’t want to do the list so no list was done,” he said. “No one was approached.” |
| Smith in a statement on Friday said: “Jim has been a mentor of mine for many years. There is absolutely no impropriety with his involvement.” | Smith in a statement on Friday said: “Jim has been a mentor of mine for many years. There is absolutely no impropriety with his involvement.” |
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