Investigation launched into Teal MP for alleged corruption in lobbying for billionaire donor

Independent “teal” MP Zoe Daniel has been reported to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for supposedly influencing a media outlet on behalf of her supporter, billionaire renewables advocate Simon Holmes à Court.

The complaint, filed by former Liberal MP and New South Wales (NSW) party president Jason Falinski, claims that Daniel’s staff asked the Australian Financial Review (AFR) to remove Holmes à Court’s name from the “covert” section of its annual list of influential Australians.

The decision to list Holmes à Court was based on the newspaper’s editorial judgment and coverage of his political involvement.

If the accusations against Daniel are proved, it suggests a misuse of taxpayer-funded resources, particularly involving Daniel’s staff who allegedly engaged in lobbying activities on behalf of her donors, as per Falinski’s letter to the Commission.

The letter referenced an AFR article that alleged another independent MP, Allegra Spender, also lobbied for Holmes à Court.

“About two weeks after the Australian Financial Review Magazine’s Power list panel met to finalize the 2024 lists, teal independent Allegra Spender visited the paper’s Canberra bureau for a favor,” the article stated.

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“She was not on either the covert or overt lists and, technically, she should not have known who was … Spender was visiting the Financial Review’s press gallery office on behalf of Simon Holmes à Court.

“Polite as ever, she requested Holmes à Court be removed from the covert list because he did not want to be on it. Her submission came as no surprise. A staffer for teal independent Zoe Daniel had already rung with the same request, as had a spokeswoman for Climate 200.”

MP Denies Allegation

A spokesperson for Spender said the article was incorrect but didn’t specify how.

Daniel’s spokesman said the MP was unaware of the complaint and would wait for any notification from the Commission before responding publicly.

Prior to the 2019 federal elections, Holmes à Court’s environmental advocacy group Climate 200 raised over $12 million from 11,500 donors to support 23 independent candidates in 2019, including Zali Steggall, Helen Haines, and Rebekha Sharkie.

Many of these candidates, including Daniel, Spender, Monique Ryan, and Kylea Tink, who received support from Holmes à Court, won their seats and were collectively known as “teal” MPs due to their uniform teal promotional material and official colors.

Like other candidates backed by Climate 200, Daniel, as part of her platform, pledged to combat corruption in Canberra and expressed the need to decrease the influence of money in politics.

Additionally, Climate 200 outspent the Liberals in advertising on Facebook, reaching a broader audience and making more impressions during the election.

Holmes à Court maintains that Climate 200 is not affiliated with any party, and the candidates it supports remain independent, with no strings attached to the funding provided, allowing them to make their own decisions in Parliament.

While Holmes à Court previously supported the Liberal Party and was part of the party’s fundraising, his opinion piece advocating for the closure of AGL’s coal-fired Liddell Power Station led to his expulsion by federal Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg in 2018.

Falinski has previously criticized Holmes à Court, alleging that he aims to influence Parliament using money and treats voters as though their votes are up for sale.

Robert Holmes à Court, Simon’s father, was Australia’s first billionaire and passed away in 1990, leaving a substantial estate, which benefited his son.