Global travel giant and frequent government contractor Helloworld is sponsoring a fundraiser for a Victorian Liberal party branch this weekend.
The links between Helloworld and the Liberal party have come under immense scrutiny in the past week.
The company, a frequent recipient of lucrative government contracts, did not charge the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, for overseas flights. It has also been claimed that the company’s chief executive, honorary Liberal party treasurer Andrew Burnes, secured a meeting with Australia’s ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey, who is also one of the top shareholders in Helloworld, with an investment worth more than $1m.
It has now emerged that a local Helloworld franchisee is sponsoring a small fundraiser for the Victorian Liberal party’s Gardenvale branch this weekend. The sponsorship, first reported by the ABC, is to support a “coffee and chat” fundraiser with the Victorian Liberal party president, Robert Clark.
A Liberal party source confirmed the event and sponsorship but said the Helloworld contribution was a pittance, worth just hundreds of dollars. The source said it was also organised by a local Helloworld franchisee, which had no links to the ASX-listed giant’s headquarters or to the federal Coalition.
“The sponsorship is in the hundreds of dollars. It’s a storm in a teacup,” the source said.
“And Helloworld Brighton – it’s a franchise … It’s a longstanding sponsorship and it’s a franchise that has nothing to do with the decisions made at head office.”
The Liberal party and Helloworld were contacted for comment.
The fundraiser allows donors to pay $20 for a coffee and chat with Clark – a regular event.
