By LIAM DURKIN

 

THE exact amount of money provided by Climate 200 toward Deb Leonard’s campaign during this year’s federal election has been revealed.

Australian Electoral Commission disclosures showed Ms Leonard’s campaign received just shy of $1 million from Climate 200, making for an exact total of $995,974.

Ms Leonard ran as an Independent for Monash, but was often labelled a ‘Teal Independent’ given how much the billion dollar company headed by Simon Holmes à Court was chipping in.

The Phillip Island-based lawyer and mother-of-two ran an advertising blitz in an attempt to become the Member for Monash, which was considered a winnable seat for an Independent after long-serving Liberal incumbent Russell Broadbent defected from the party.

Mr Broadbent himself ran as an Independent, but lost to current sitting member Mary Aldred.

Ms Aldred’s victory was delayed, following a long and painstaking preference distribution.

The sheer amount of money provided to Ms Leonard’s campaign was generally seen as mind-blowing.

Mr Broadbent reported never spending any more than $60,000 on a campaign during his two decades as the local federal member.

Now living the quiet life post-election, Ms Leonard maintained her campaign was fully independent.

“There was no strings attached to any of the donations received,” she asserted when asked by the Express.

“We obviously did receive a significant amount from Climate 200, but we also had over 400 other individual donors mostly from the Monash community that wanted to financially support an independent campaign.

“Our campaign was the only campaign to disclose their donations up front in real time (online). The major parties still haven’t disclosed what they spent during the federal election and won’t until they are required to by law in February next year.”

Ms Leonard also wished to make the point that her campaign supported the local economy by spending money in the electorate, through hospitality, accommodation and venue hire.

Ms Aldred however hit back, saying voters clearly saw through her rival’s game plan.

“The AEC disclosure just confirms what our community in Monash suspected all along – that the Climate 200 funded Teal campaign was anything but local or independent,” she said.

“It was wealthy outside interests based in Potts Point driving this campaign, and our community in Monash said thanks but no thanks.”

Ms Leonard actually came third when preferences were distributed behind Labor’s Tully Fletcher.

Mr Fletcher was approached for comment.