Financial scandal hits SA Liberals
By Melanie Sjoberg
ADELAIDE — The SA Liberal Party has been rocked in recent weeks by revelations of a scandal surrounding a significant donation to its 1993 state election campaign.
Under new legislation, political parties are required to disclose the source of all major donations to their election funds. When these lists were investigated by the establishment press, however, it was discovered that a donation of $500,000, supposedly made to the Liberal Party by a Hong Kong-based group called Catch Tim, was denied by the contact point in Hong Kong.
Several weeks of research by journalists have traced the donation to a well-known Adelaide businessman, Rob Gerard. Gerard (who according to the State Public Sector Union journal celebrated his 50th birthday by chartering a jet to fly 60 couples to Cairns, followed by a limousine ride to a picnic in a rainforest, then three days on a luxury liner to Lizard Island) is head of the SA Employers Chamber of Commerce and managing director of a company called Clipsal.
The government-owned SA Housing Trust is building a $2.5 million factory for Clipsal at Strathalbyn in the Adelaide Hills. In addition, Clipsal will receive a financial package from the SA Development Fund.