The Santoro Affair

I like Aussie Bob's take:

Santoro’s Mafia-like Sicilian network, alias “The Queensland Liberal Party”, is making it plain that winning and keeping government is not the primary goal of the Liberals in Queensland. An unholy alliance of religious crackpots launders money for both their charitable donors and their bagmen in the government. Federal funds come out, get the Rinso treatment and then go back in as political donations. Alternatively, sure-fire share tips are offered as quid pro quos. As a third option, the government does favours for “connected” businessmen who then turn these back into cash donations a short time later. The party gets its cut, but the facilitators personally prosper as well. Winning governement is a bonus, but only a bonus. The aim is to get rich off the donations and electoral funding roundabout, a complex web of charities, tax exempt organisations, federal slush money and party fixers. The public is beginning to twig to this as it unravels.