Labor is reeling after an adviser resigned amid revelations that the party bankrolled its 2016 federal election campaign with the help of up to $140,000 in donations from gold dealers linked to a multimillion-dollar tax scam.
The NSW Labor Party received donations totalling at least $120,000 for last year’s federal election campaign from companies with links to a Chinese-born businessman selected to run as a party Senate candidate.
Four companies either run by or connected to “Simon” Shuo Zhou, a Sydney-based gold trader with strong political affiliations to a pro-Beijing lobby organisation, made separate donations to the NSW ALP over a 24-hour period just a week after the July 2 election was called.
Mr Zhou, given seventh spot on Labor’s Senate ticket in NSW last year, was also named in an Administrative Appeals Tribunal case as being connected to a company involved in a $143 million gold-trading scandal that resulted in the Australian Taxation Office demanding $20m in unpaid taxes and penalties.
Over the past few days he has quit from his part-time paid job as a party officer based in the NSW ALP’s head office with responsibility for handling relations with the Chinese community in Sydney.
Labor is reeling after an adviser resigned amid revelations that the party bankrolled its 2016 federal election campaign with the help of up to $140,000 in donations from gold dealers linked to a multimillion-dollar tax scam.
Senate candidate’s China links find $120k for Labor
Eastwin Trade Pty Ltd and Commissioner of Taxation (Taxation) [2017] AATA 140 (10 February 2017)
Senate candidate’s China links find $120k for Labor
Other Gold bullion cases:
Cash World Gold Buyers Pty Ltd (Taxation) [2017] AATA 736 (17 May 2017)