Former NSW Labor boss admits to Icac that Huang Xiangmo's donations 'paid for influence'

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/11/former-nsw-labor-boss-admits-to-icac-that-huang-xiangmos-donations-paid-for-influence

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Former New South Wales Labor boss Jamie Clements told an Icac inquiry he organised a meeting between Bill Shorten and Huang Xiangmo because of the Chinese billionaire’s “generous” contributions to the party, and conceded large donors get special access to party leaders.

Clements continued his evidence before the Independent commission against corruption on Friday morning about his efforts to organise a meeting between Huang and then Labor leader Shorten in April 2015.

Huang was at the time the head of a Chinese Communist Party-linked group, the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China.

The commission has previously heard allegations that Huang came to the party’s Sussex Street headquarters with $100,000 in an Aldi shopping bag, handing it to Clements.

Former NSW Labor boss denies accepting Aldi bag full of cash from Huang Xiangmo, Icac told

Clements denies accepting a cash-filled bag, but does agree that Huang visited on 7 April 2015 to ask Clements to organise a meeting with Shorten

Clements was accused of organising the Shorten meeting as a “quid pro quo” for the $100,000 from Huang.

“Absolutely not. The bag didn’t exist. There was no quid pro quo,” Clements said.

But he did agree that Huang’s status as a prolific donor to the Labor party influenced his decision to help him get access to Shorten.

Asked whether anyone could just “walk in off the street” and ask to see Shorten, Clements responded: “Depends on the person who was making the request was I suppose.”

He said Huang had given $500,000 to Labor for its federal election campaign. Huang was also a good prospect for funds for the 2016 election campaign, Clements said.

Chief commissioner Peter Hall asked whether Huang’s status as a prolific donor helped him get access to Shorten. Clements agreed that it was.

“So that’s in your mind anyway one of the benefits to the donor, a generous donor, it’s in effect a price or an amount paid for influence?” Hall asked.

Clements responded: “Commissioner, I have to say that’s correct.”

Hall asked further: “So you say that the reason that you immediately responded to this request for a meeting to be arranged between Huang Xiangmo and Mr Shorten was the fact that Mr Huang had donated generously to the ALP?”

Clements responded: “In the past, yep. And it was obviously in my mind that he was a very good potential donor for the 2016 federal election.”

A meeting was later organised between Shorten, Huang and Clements at Master Ken’s Seafood Restaurant in Sydney, according to Clements.

Clements said he believed Huang had paid for the lunch, but said he had made no attempt to record the contribution in official records.

Tom Dixon, counsel for Labor official Kenrick Cheah, accused Clements of using his evidence to protect Huang as repayment for his earlier generosity.

Huang Xiangmo gave former NSW Labor boss $35,000 to fight harassment allegations, Icac told

The commission has previously heard Huang gave Clements $35,000 cash to pay for legal bills, handed him $10,000 cash for the campaign of a union official, and hired him on a $4,000 per week retainer after he resigned as Labor NSW general secretary.

Clements denied the suggestion he was doing anything other than answering questions truthfully. He described suggestions he was protecting Huang as “absurd”.

“I’m here today to answer questions honestly … I’m not doing the bidding of anybody,” he said.

Huang has denied making the $100,000 cash donation to the NSW Labor party, but has refused to appear at Icac to answer questions. Huang was a barred donor at the time due to his property development links through Yuhu Group.

Icac has heard evidence that the $100,000 donation was covered up through a series of 12 straw donors, who purported to have made contributions to Labor in association with a March 2015 fundraising dinner, headlined by Shorten and former NSW Labor parliamentary leader Luke Foley.

Huang was barred from re-entry to Australia earlier this year.

The commission has previously heard the reunification council is a front for the Chinese Communist Party, designed to influence the affairs of foreign nations.