Opposition leaders criticize Aussie PM for hefty personal donation in election

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been accused of buying the 2016 federal election, after he admitted to have donated 1.75 million Australian dollars (1.32 million U.S. dollars) of his own money to the Liberal Party during the eight-week campaign.

The list of individual donations to political parties in 2015/16 was released publicly on Wednesday but did not feature Turnbull's donation as it did not fall within the financial year.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Turnbull cleared the air on Wednesday night and admitted he had donated almost 2 million dollars to the Liberal Party in the lead-up to the election.

"I contributed 1.75 million (Australian dollars), that was the contribution I made," Turnbull said, "It's been talked about and speculated about, so there it is."

"I can assure you (wife Lucy and I) make big contributions to many important enterprises and causes. I've always been prepared to put my money where my mouth is."

But the opposition has been quick to criticize the prime minister for the hefty donation; shadow Finance Minister Jim Chalmers said Turnbull "basically bought himself" the election - which the Liberal-National Party (LNP) coalition won with just a one-seat majority.

"Well no wonder Malcolm Turnbull was so desperate to keep this a secret," Chalmers told ABC radio on Thursday, "He's basically bought himself an election. It stinks."

"Malcolm Turnbull had to buy his way out of trouble in the dying days of his disastrous election campaign, and if he didn't have 1.75 million dollars to splash about he wouldn't be the leader of the Liberal Party and he wouldn't be the prime minister."

Also on Thursday, Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg came to the prime minister's defense, describing Turnbull as a "generous" donator to many worthy causes.

Meanwhile Treasurer Scott Morrison described Chalmers' dig as a dirty "political smear."

"It's a grubby political smear from a grubby political hack, from a party of hacks led by Bill Shorten," Morrison said.

He added that opposition leader Bill Shorten should come out and criticize Turnbull's donation himself, and not send his "lackeys" into the media spotlight.

Meanwhile a former Liberal Party federal treasurer, Michael Yabsley, has called for any political donation to be capped at 500 Australian dollars (380 U.S. dollars); he said large donations have begun to carry too much influence with the voters.

"A donation of 1.75 million, be it from the bloke down the street or the prime minister, should be banned," Yabsley told the ABC.

"The donations that are received are really the grease that makes the wheels turn, and I think that is unhealthy and it should be changed."

Both major parties are on the record as being opposed to a cap on donations, however the matter is currently before the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters.

source: Xinhua