Shooters Party and Donations

It turned out that the NSW division of The Shooters Party had never lodged an annual return with the Austra;ian Electoral Commission (AEC).   As a state based party with a registered federal division they are supposed to submit a return, as other minor political parties do, such as The Greens and The Christian Democrats. 

From 1998/99 to 2003/04 the federal division, The Australian Shooters Party, was registered and lodged an annual return with the AEC.  We know from their state election returns that the NSW division, The Shooters Party, accepted many donations over $1,500 during this period yet they were not disclosed to the AEC.  The Victorian division of the Shooters Party has also never lodged a return with the AEC, despite contesting state elections since 1999.

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia donations

In NSW The Shooters Party accepted large donations from the Sporting Shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc (SSAA (NSW)).  NSW Shooters Party MP Roy Smith was the Executive Officer of the SSAA (NSW) at the time that it donated a total of $458,286 to his own Shooters Party election campaign.  His name appears on some of the donor forms. 

According to shooters blogs, members of the SSAA (NSW) Newcastle branch sought a Senior Counsel opinion on the constitutional validity of a $250,000 and $60,000 donation.  The opinion found that the donations were unconstitutional as they were approved by the Executive and not by a general meeting.  There were an additional $124,786 worth of donations in kind made from the SSAA (NSW) to the Shooters Party for office expenses, staff and advertising.  

Were SSAA (NSW) members aware that their organisation gave $458,286 to the Shooters Party’s Roy Smith campaign?  From reading shooters blogs on the issue of Shooters Party funding it appears not. These blogs show considerable animosity over the $250,000 donation from the SSAA to the Shooters Party.

2011 Shooters Party Election Fighting Fund

Bloggers on various shooters blogs have alluded to The Shooters Party’s 2011 fighting fund.  For example:

“Entering the federal election will also cost money. Nomination fees are $750 per candidate (minimum of two required) and even a modest publicity campaign costs several thousand dollars. That money will inevitably come out of the campaign fund being built for the 2011 state election when Robert Brown will be seeking election in his own right. Brown is not the SSAA’s man, so he can’t expect to receive the support that Smith attracted. He will need the money.”
(See - http://ausgunowners.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/should-the-shooters-party-contest-the-federal-election-2/#comments)

The two Shooters Party MLCs now share the balance of power in the Legislative Council with the two Christian Democrats on the right, with four Greens MLCs on the left. 

As such, Shooters MPs are in a good position to attract support from outside their traditional donor base.  We will not know if the Shooters Party has accepted donations from corporate and lobbyist donors until after the 2011 NSW State election if the party doesn’t start submitting annual donor returns to the AEC.  

Robert Brown may not be able to attract the same level of support from SSAA (NSW) as his colleague Roy Smith did.  It appears that Roy Smith and the SSAA (NSW) held their firearms license revenue funds in reserve until Smith’s run at Parliament in 2007. The 2011 fighting fund may well have to seek donations from a broader base.

NSW SHOOTERS PARTY DONATIONS

2007 NSW State Election

The Shooters Party lodged with the NSW Election Funding Authority (NSWEFA) a return for the Legislative Council campaign for election of Roy Smith in the 2007 NSW State Election.
The Party declared total political donations of $667,370:
•    $556,748 in donations over $1,500
(donations after 30/6/2004 were not required to be declared to the AEC as the national division of the party was deregistered after this period until 2007.)
•    $110,622 in donations were under $1,500.
•    $0 was raised at fundraisers.

In addition $166,405 was received in party membership dues, bringing the total income to $833,775.

They declared a total campaign expenditure of $682,961. 

The itemised donations over $1,500 were reported to the NSWEFA at the end of the 2007 state election period:

The Shooters Party
2003 - 2007 NSW State Election disclosure period
Date             Donor  and  Amount $
14/9/2006    Singleton Hunting Club Inc    5,000
27/9/2006    Australian Deer Association (NSW)    10,000
4/10/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Aust (NSW) Inc    250,000
9/10/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Aust (NSW) Sydney branch    60,000
2/11/2006    Combined Firearms Council of Victoria Inc    5,000
2/11/2006    Shoalhaven Hunting Club Inc    4,000
12/2/2007    Illawarra regional Shooting Association    5,000
14/2/2007    Nioa Trading Pty Ltd    2,175
26/2/2007    Arms Militaria Trading Association NSW    5,000
26/2/2007    Orana Hunting Club Inc    2,000
26/2/2007    Nepean Hunters Club Inc    5,000
5/3/2007    NSW Gun Club Ltd    2,000
12/3/2007    Southern Riverina Hunting club    2,000
12/3/2007    Sporting Shooters Assoc. Australia (NSW) Inc    25,000
12/3/2007    S.C.I. Down Under Inc    5,000
24/1/2007    Hunters and Fishermans Assoc of NSW Inc    20,000
24/1/2007    NSW Amateur Pistol Association Inc    15,000
31/1/2007    Valleybrook Hunting Club Inc    6,000

TOTAL DONATIONS    $428,175

Donations In Kind > $1,500
1/1/2007    Sporting Shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (office facilities)    3,000
1/8/2006    Sporting shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (staff)    52,000
1/8/2006    Sporting shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (publishing advertising)    18,641
1/8/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (Electoral Advertising)    12,774
1/8/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (travel accommodation)    8,653
1/8/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (stationary, telephone, postage)    28,218
SUB-TOTAL Sporting Shooters Association In Kind    $124,786

15/3/2007    NSW Amateur Pistol Association Inc – in kind (print and post election newsletter)    5,287

TOTAL DONATIONS IN KIND    $130,073

TOTAL DONATIONS DECLARED less than $1,500 for the 2003 – 2007 Election period  -  $558,248


2003 NSW State Election

The Shooters Party lodged with the NSW Electoral Funding Authority (NSWEFA) a return for the Legislative Council campaign for re-election of John Tingle in the 2003 NSW State Election.

They declared receiving total political donations of $256,782.
•    $146,400 donations over $1,500
(these donations should have been declared to the AEC as they were above the AEC disclosure threshold)
•    $92,500 donations were under $1,500.
•    $17,882 was raised at fundraisers.

In addition $195,510 was received in party membership dues, totaling $452,292.

They declared a total campaign expenditure of $401,971.

The itemised donations over $1,500 were reported to the NSWEFA at the end of the 2003 state election period, as follows:

The Shooters Party
1999 - 2003 NSW State Election disclosure period

Date             Donor  and  Amount $
9/3/2001      Federation of Hunting Clubs Inc    10,000
23/9/2002    Singleton Hunting Club    4,000
10/1/2003    St Ives Pistol Club    1,500
20/1/2003    Illawarra Pistol Club    1,500
30/1/2003    Federation of Hunting Clubs Inc    10,000
31/1/2003    Sporting Shooters Association of Aust (NSW)    20,000
10/2/2003    Royal Australian Engineers (CMF) Rifle club Inc    5,000
20/2/2003    Australian Deer Association (NSW)    5,000
20/2/2003    Illawarra Regional Shooting Association    40,000
21/2/2003    Nepean Hunters Club Inc    2,500
3/3/2003     Orana Hunting Club    5,000
5/3/2003     Shoalhaven Hunting Club    3,000
6/3/2003     Valleybrook Hunting Club    5,000
13/3/2003    Demotrip Pty Ltd    5,000
12/3/2003    The Shooters party – Hawkesbury Branch    2,000
13/3/2003    Buladelah Hunting Social Club    1,500
17/3/2003    NSW amateur Pistol Association Inc    15,000
17/3/2003    The Shooters party – Illawarra branch    3,000
17/3/2003    The Shooters party – Penrith branch    2,400
24/3/2003    Arms – Militaria Collectors Association    5,000

TOTAL 2003 ELECTION DONATIONS    $146,400

SPORTING SHOOTERS ASSOCIATION AUSTRALIA (NSW) INC DONATIONS

2007 NSW ELECTION DONATIONS

82% of all declared donations to The Shooters Party in the 2007 NSW election came from the Sporting Shooters Association (NSW).

In the lead up to the 2003 NSW election the SSAA (NSW) donated $20,000 to the campaign to re-elect John Tingle.

In the lead up to the 2007 NSW election the SSAA (NSW) donated $458,286 to the campaign to elect Roy Smith.   Prior to being elected, Roy Smith was the Executive Officer of the SSAA (NSW). 

2007 NSW State Election
Sporting Shooters Association Australia donations to The Shooters party

Date            Donor  and  Amount
4/10/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Aust (NSW) Inc    250,000 *
9/10/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Aust (NSW) Sydney branch    60,000 *
12/3/2007    Sporting Shooters Assoc. Australia (NSW) Inc    25,000
1/1/2007    Sporting Shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (office facilities)    3,000
1/8/2006    Sporting shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (staff)    52,000
1/8/2006    Sporting shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (publishing advertising)    18,641
1/8/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (Electoral Advertising)    12,774
1/8/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (travel accommodation)    8,653
1/8/2006    Sporting Shooters Association Australia (NSW) Inc – in kind (stationary, telephone, postage)    28,218

TOTAL 2007 ELECTION    $458,286