A Gold Coast councillor who received $30,000 in donations from the Liberal National Party while running as an independent candidate last year has conceded voters could conclude she was anything but independent.
But Division 4 councillor Kristyn Boulton insisted in a Crime and Corruption Commission hearing in Brisbane on Tuesday that she remained independent, despite two-thirds of her campaign being bankrolled by the LNP.
The man behind those donations, federal LNP member for Fadden Stuart Robert, said the donations were more about preventing Labor getting a foothold in his electorate than assisting a local party-aligned candidate.
The CCC is investigating funding and disclosure allegations against independents in the 2016 Gold Coast, Moreton Bay and Ipswich council elections.
Under questioning from counsel assisting the CCC, Glen Rice, QC, Cr Boulton, an electorate officer for federal Mr Robert for almost nine years, said she did not feel compromised by the $30,000 of her $45,000 in donations coming from the LNP.
"Very few people asked me, I could count on one hand, about the donors or that type of thing," she said.
"They mainly asked about the issues. They asked me where I worked, my background, if I was an LNP member, but I don't recall having lots of conversations."
CCC chairman Alan MacSporran then asked if Cr Boulton understood the "perception in the community" that her independence was compromised by such large donations from the LNP.
"Looking back in hindsight and I've had a long time to think about it, a lot of water under the bridge and a lot of press reports, and indeed yes, I concur that I can see that now," she said.
"Was I thinking, feeling, acting like that at the time? Absolutely not."
Cr Boulton said the whole donations process had "been quite confusing" for her, as the money was provided by the Fadden Forum, a fundraising arm of the LNP, whereas she was under the initial impression they would come in the form of personal donations from Mr Robert.
"I think Stuart's given me the money, he says 'no the Fadden Forum's given you the money' and the Fadden Forum says the LNP's given me the money," she said.
"So, as I sit here today, I'm even more confused."
Two of Cr Boulton's bank statements were submitted as evidence, which showed three donations from the LNP in the lead-up to the March 19, 2016, election: $10,000 on February 3, $15,000 on February 9 and $5000 on March 8.
While they appeared on bank statements as coming from the LNP, the donations appeared as coming from "Fadden Forum" on her electoral disclosure forms.
Cr Boulton said that was at the direction of Mr Robert.
"I put 'Fadden Forum' because I was told to," she said.
Mr Robert later told the hearing the words "Fadden Forum" already appeared on a disclosure sent to him in draft form.
Mr Robert said he was not able to make donations through the Fadden Forum without the express permission of LNP headquarters.
"I can't spend a cent without the LNP approving it," he said.
Mr Robert said he convinced the LNP to stump up the cash because he did not want Labor to have a foothold in his electorate because, he said, that would cost the party more in the long run.
Labor identity Eddy Sarroff was running against Cr Boulton in Division 4, while the Australian Workers Union-backed Stacey Schinnerl in Division 5, which was unsuccessfully contested by Felicity Stevenson.
Ms Stevenson was also an electorate officer for Mr Robert and, like Cr Boulton, received $30,000 from the Fadden Forum.
"Local politics is not my thing," Mr Robert said.
"As a general rule, if you play on someone else's turf, they'll play on yours, so I just don't get involved.
"In this case, (there were) serious implications for me. The union movement plays hard and, without prejudice, all power to them.
"They're not an organisation you take lightly and when they seek to run people, they run hard. They put in hundreds of thousands of dollars into local election campaigns.
"They are a serious force."
When asked why both Cr Boulton and Ms Stevenson received identical amounts from the LNP, Mr Robert said: "It's a bit like buying a toy for one child and not the other one."
Mr Robert said having Labor-aligned councillors in his area would have made his job as a federal MP "a lot harder".
"While $50,000 to two candidates seems like a lot of money by community standards, I appreciate, but if the Labor Party gets a foothold (in my electorate) I'll have to spend a lot more money in terms of how I field my campaign," he said.
Earlier, lobbyist Simone Holzapfel, who was once an adviser to former prime minister Tony Abbott, described the Fadden Forum as a fundraising arm of the LNP.
It was set up, Ms Holzapfel said, to fund LNP election campaigns.
Electoral Commission of Queensland commissioner Walter van der Merwe earlier told the hearing all groupings of candidates, which would allow them to run on tickets and share resources, had to be registered with the ECQ.
Cr Boulton said she had no such arrangement with Ms Stevenson, or with the LNP itself.
The hearing continues on Wednesday, when attention will turn to Ipswich, with mayor Paul Pisasale, deputy mayor Paul Tully and councillor Kerry Silver all set to appear, along with Moreton Bay councillor Michael Charlton.
