A fundraising event at the Melbourne headquarters of Macquarie Bank, featuring Peter Dutton and several Liberal MPs, was canceled at the last minute on Wednesday night without explanation, as a major storm threatened the opposition leader’s home state in Queensland. Originally, Dutton had been scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the event. The reason for the cancellation of the event and who made the decision were not made clear, although speculation suggested it was due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Dutton’s office and Macquarie Bank were not available for comment. It was also noted that Dutton had previously addressed the media about the severe threat posed by Cyclone Alfred in Brisbane. He suggested that calling the federal election on Sunday would be unwise due to the potential impact of the storm. The Melbourne event, which was set to be hosted by key Liberal figures, would have gathered business leaders and politicians, but it drew criticism over the expensive and potentially unethical nature of such private fundraising dinners. Climate change activists and transparency advocates argue that these secretive events erode trust in democracy by creating a “pay-to-play” system. Transparency International Australia’s CEO, Clancy Moore, criticized the major parties for using these events to fund their election campaigns.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/06/liberal-fundraiser-cancelled-amid-cyclone-preparations-and-report-peter-dutton-attended-sydney-event-with-justin-hemmes-ntwnfb