After yesterday’s revelation that Malcolm Turnbull donated $1.75 million to the cash-strapped NSW Liberal Party during last year’s election campaign, Labor has snatched the opportunity to accuse Malcolm of having “basically bought himself an election”.
The revelation of the dollar figure of Turnbull’s donation came on ABC 7.30 last night, after Turnbull had steadfastly refused to divulge the actual figure over the past six months. Everyone knew he had made some kind of donation – we were just all waiting for the Australian Electoral Commission to publish the data.
“I’ve always been prepared to put my money where my mouth is,” Mr Turnbull said on the program. “I put my money into ensuring we didn’t have a Labor government. I put my money into the Liberal Party’s campaign.”
Turnbull’s donation is the largest in Australia’s political history.
Of course, given that even then it was clear that the Liberals were bleeding votes on their right to One Nation and they ended up with only a one-seat majority, you could potentially argue that it would have been savvier to invest in Ansett Australia in 2001.
Labor’s finance spokesperson Jim Chalmers accused Turnbull of securing a tenuous position as leader of the party with his dollars.
No wonder Malcolm Turnbull was so desperate to keep his secret – he basically bought himself an election. I think the Australian people will be shocked by this admission – it stinks. Malcolm Turnbull had to buy his way out of trouble in the dying days of his disastrous election campaign.If Malcolm Turnbull didn’t have $1.75 million in his back pocket he wouldn’t be the leader of the Liberal Party – and he wouldn’t be Prime Minister.
Seems that not all the criticism is coming from Labor, either. Liberal MP Craig Kelly mocked his decision and implied it was a shithouse investment. “The PM is known for his investment skill and judgment – and a one seat majority shows it was a good investment.”
Ooft.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: Getty Images.
