Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, please, it is most relevant to the report. Please understand that what I'm asking here is: who finances the political parties, the big machines? I'm not having a go at Clive Palmer—I've always considered him a friend—but where does his money come from? I'm not here to denigrate Clive, I can assure you of that. I regard him as a friend. But $123 million? Alright, it didn't succeed in getting him very far, but there is no doubt that money is lethal in politics.

Speaking as a person who has never had any money to run a campaign in their whole life, I have personal feelings about it, but more important is the bigger picture. It would be interesting to see how much Chemist Warehouse and the TerryWhite corporation gave to political parties in the last election. Terry White was the leader of the Liberal Party in Queensland. He's out of the company now, but I'm sure his relationships live on well after he has left the scene.

Debate adjourned.

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