Karen McNamara dragged into controversy about political donations
Date
September 23, 2013 - 3:23PM
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Sean Nicholls
Sydney Morning Herald State Political Editor
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Dragged into controversy: Karen McNamara.
Photo: Ryan Osland
The likely new federal Liberal MP for Dobell, Karen McNamara, has been drawn into controversy about political donations on the NSW central coast due to her role as campaign manager for a state MP whose office has been raided by corruption authorities.
The electorate offices of NSW MPs Darren Webber and Chris Spence were raided by the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Friday. Mr Webber is the member for Wyong and Mr Spence for The Entrance.
The raids are believed to be linked to revelations by Fairfax Media last year that two staff members of state Energy Minister Chris Hartcher, who holds the central coast seat of Terrigal, had been referred to election funding authorities by the Liberal Party.
The Liberals alleged the pair -policy adviser Tim Koelma and Mr Hartcher's electorate officer Ray Carter - had breached election funding laws shortly before the 2011 election. Ms McNamara was Mr Webber's campaign manager for the 2011 campaign.
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Fairfax Media can reveal that during her preselection interview for Dobell, Ms McNamara said that as campaign manager she had raised up to $100,000 for Mr Webber's campaign.
But the claim was questioned by a member of the NSW Liberal state executive, Hollie Hughes, who said she had been advised party records indicated official receipts were far less than that - as little as $50,000.
It is understood the Liberal Party finance director, Simon McInnes, confirmed to Mrs Hughes that the official fund-raising figure was far less than that claimed by Ms McNamara.
Ms McNamara did not respond to a request for comment.
Mrs Hughes said on Monday: "It was a long time ago and I can't remember the specific details. But preselections are an internal party matter so I can't make any further comment."
One $5000 donation believed to be under scrutiny by ICAC was made by a building firm, LA Commercial, owned by a Wyong businessman, Matthew Lusted, to the benefit of the Liberal Party's central coast candidates just weeks before the 2011 election.
It is understood the donation was paid through Eightbyfive, a business owned by Mr Koelma, who has since resigned from his office. Fairfax Media does not suggest there is any connection between the donation and Ms McNamara.
Mr Koelma says he has done nothing wrong and that he "operated a legitimate business" and had "always acted appropriately". Mr Lusted was an unsuccessful preselection candidate for Dobell.
Ms McNamara, who was Mr Hartcher's preference, was named the candidate after the party's state executive and then opposition leader Tony Abbott, intervened in the earlier preselection of Garry Whitaker, who was not endorsed after a controversy about his living arrangements.
Ms McNamara looks set to be elected to Parliament. She leads in Dobell by more than 1000 votes with 94 per cent of the vote counted.
Premier Barry O'Farrell has resisted calls to suspend Mr Spence, Mr Webber and Mr Hartcher since the raids because, he said, until ICAC made a statement on its activities the matter was "pure speculation".
Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...l-donations-20130923-2u9kh.html#ixzz2fh45Y0TX
