A developer who donated $50,000 under five company names to the Brisbane City Council while Campbell Newman was lord mayor is connected to another $20,000 in two separate payments.
The Australian newspaper reports developer Philip Usher donated a total of $72,000 under seven different company names to Forward Brisbane Leadership in the weeks leading up to city council approval for two residential towers.
Forward Brisbane Leadership was the fundraising entity of Mr Newman and his council team.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The final payment was made on February 7, 2011. The Australian says.
Mr Usher was then approved to build 20 and 12 storey buildings in Woolloongabba on February 22, 2011.
Premier Anna Bligh told reporters on Wednesday she would pause from her election campaign until Mr Newman had explained the donations.
"Whichever way you look at it today's revelations involve dodgy donations, they involve a dodgy development approval and they add up to a dodgy deal," she said on Wednesday.
Mr Newman on Wednesday dismissed the reports, which had stated Mr Usher had only donated $50,000 under five different names before the building approvals were given, as rubbish.
"This is just the same old malarkey from the Labor party that we've seen for the last 11 months," he told reporters in Brisbane.
"Look, it was an open and transparent process.
"The development application was recommended by the independent professional town planning council officers of the BCC (Brisbane City Council).
"It went through all the normal processes."
