Property developers exploit corporate loophole to funnel $44,100 into Victorian Liberal Party
Three property developers used twelve separate companies to donate $44,100 to the Victorian Liberal Party in a week, staying within the $5,190 cap because each entity is treated as independent.
Between late April and early May, twelve companies linked to three wealthy developers gave the Victorian Liberal Party a total of $58,800, with nine Mensch Investments Industrial entities contributing $44,100 in a single week. The firms, numbered SL7-1 through SL7-9, share directors David Scalzo, Anthony Caligiuri and Eli Goldfinger and are registered at Goldfinger’s advisory business address, while three Mensch Investments Partnership companies, each solely directed by Scalzo, donated $4,900 each.
Current Victorian donation rules treat only entities that are “related” under the Corporations Act as a single donor; sharing directors alone does not meet that definition, allowing the donations to remain under the $5,190 per-donor cap. The developers—Scalzo, son of nut magnate Quinto Scalzo, Caligiuri of Califam Constructions, and Goldfinger of EGA Corporate Advisers—also have major construction projects such as a $2 billion industrial precinct with Stockland.
Experts say the narrow definition of related bodies could undermine the intent of donation limits and may be examined by an upcoming expert panel reviewing Victoria’s electoral finance laws. Federal donation caps slated for 2027 do not address this same loophole.
Why it matters
The case shows how corporate structures can sidestep political donation caps, raising concerns about undue influence on parties.
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