Developer donations to politicians and parties will be banned in Queensland retrospectively from Thursday after the Labor government introduced laws that will affect the upcoming state election.
As well as probably pushing the pending poll out to next year, the ban will create a minefield for the Liberal National Party opposition as Labor has already stopped receiving donations.
The donations ban was one of 31 recommendations from the Crime and Corruption Commission's report into corruption at last year's council elections, which the state government pledged to implement.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introduced the bill to parliament on Thursday afternoon saying it built on her government's push to increase transparency and accountability.
"My government has never wavered from the principle that elected officials must meet the community's reasonable and legitimate expectation of integrity," Ms Palaszczuk told Parliament
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"While I respect the views of stakeholders, including those who argue against a ban on property developer donations, the CCC - our standing royal commission - found this to be risk of corruption."
Ms Palaszczuk also moved the bill go through the committee process and return to parliament by November 27, which could see it voted in that sitting week.
Under the changes in the bill, any company or individual whose main business is property development would be prohibited by law from donating to politicians or political parties.
By making the changes retrospective to Thursday, the government has created an extra obstacle for the LNP in regaining government as they would now potentially be in breach of the law by receiving developer donations.
Labor say they stopped receiving any donations from developers as of last Friday.
The move appears to reduce the waning possibility of an election being called this year, with the premier seemingly intending on having parliament sit in the last week on November.
It would then be highly unlikely the government would call a December election, meaning they would probably wait until next February.
