Qld Labor demands cash from business: LNP

Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt has raised the prospect of taxpayer-funded election campaigns amid criticism of Labor reportedly reviving a controversial cash-for-access program.

Labor restarted their Business Observers Program at their state conference last month, offering businesses $5000 in return for meeting with multiple ministers, according to The Australian.

Mr Pitt has defended the program as being fully declared and transparent and says political parties need a way to raise money to fund election campaigns.

"Clearly if there is a conversation Queenslanders wish to have around public funding for elections, of course that is a very different scenario," he said.

"If there's a need to have further discussions with Queenslanders about their expectations then I have no doubt we can give consideration to that."

The previous Liberal National Party (LNP) government was also criticised for their cash-for-access Q Forum, which raked in $7 million for the party in the first half of 2014.

Labor also had a similar group where, for an annual fee of $5000-$10,000, members were invited to private functions with the then opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk and her shadow cabinet.

Ms Palaszczuk also cancelled a cash-for-access event during the final days of the January election campaign after initially defending the function.

The LNP held a fundraising lunch around the same time costing guests $250-a-head or $8000 a table to hear about "the LNP's plan to keep making Queensland stronger".

Politicians from both sides have consistently declared in the past that fundraising was a matter for their party organisations.

Former treasurer Tim Nicholls said that Labor's clear favouritism of unions over business was the most concerning aspect of their cash for access club.

He said the government had "rolled out the red carpet" for unions 171 times for free since coming to power, but was much harsher to businesses.

"If business need to see Labor it's a case of Labor demanding ka-ching," Mr Nicholls said.

"They are holding out the cash registers, asking businesses to fill Labor's cash registers in order to see ministers."

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said all contributions and contributors from the Labor conference had been disclosed.

"We made no secret of the fact Labor was conducting a business partnership program at the state conference, it's something we've done for decades in the past," Ms Trad.

"Also, I think it's important to know not-for-profit organisations came along and also had access without having to pay."