Obtained ministerial briefings reveal Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton fast-tracked a one-off $880,000 grant to an association after it made a political donation in personal support of him.
The National Retail Association (NRA) made a $1,500 donation to the Queensland Liberal National Party at a NRA event.
The donation is described in the NRA’s 2019 financial report as "support for Peter Dutton Dinner at Norman Hotel 21/11/18".
Dominique Lamb, CEO of the NRA, told 7.30 that Mr Dutton had attended the event.
A ministerial briefing dated eight days later shows Mr Dutton’s office "requested that the proposal from the National Retailer's Association [sic] be considered sooner".
The grant was awarded on a one-off basis by Mr Dutton – not through any open or competitive grant scheme.
Queensland’s electoral disclosures reveal the NRA has donated over $57,000 to the Queensland LNP since 2017.