OZschwitz: Chinese billionaire funding slimy MPs

A LITTLE-KNOWN Australian-Chinese property billionaire has emerged as the largest offshore benefactor of Australia's political parties. Chau Chak Wing has poured more than $2 million into the coffers of the Liberal, National and Labor parties in the past decade.

In the two financial years that had the heaviest impact on the last federal election - 2006-07 and 2007-08 - he gave $980,000 to the Coalition and $402,000 to Labor.

Yet despite the generous gifts to both sides he has stayed well below the radar in debates about Australia's burgeoning links with China, and is barely known outside the political and business elites in both countries.

He eclipses the Macau entrepreneur Stanley Ho as a donor because Labor returned most of Mr Ho's money after the 2007 election.

Dr Chau told the Herald he was just a "small businessman" who was fulfilling the role of a "good and responsible citizen". "When I make those donations, I do not put any conditions on the contribution."

The former prime minister John Howard told the Herald: "I had a very positive view of his contribution to the relationship [with China].

"He always struck me as a person interested in a genuine way in building relations between China and Australia. I never discussed donations with him … the access he had was not so frequent as to even justify that question."

LNK
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