A company run by Chinese businesswoman Sally Zou donated almost $450,000 to the South Australian branch of the Liberal Party last financial year, the latest electoral disclosures have revealed.
Political disclosure documents on the Australian Electoral Commission's (AEC) website show the company Australian Romance made a $445,783 donation to the SA Liberal Party between July 2021 and June 2022.
The company's director is listed as Sally Zou, who has previously donated to the Liberals through other companies, including Transcendent Australia and AusGold Mining.
The AEC documents show the SA Liberals received $8.9 million during the period, while SA Labor got $10.6 million — figures that include donations and "other receipts" from a variety of sources.
Ms Zou came to public prominence in 2017 after setting up a company called the Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation.
In 2019, AusGold was placed into voluntary administration owing creditors more than $41 million.
In a statement about her most recent donation, Ms Zou explained that Australian Romance is a wine export business.
"Many Australians contribute to the political process in this country by supporting the party of their choice financially," she said.
"All donations by Australian Romance, a wine exporting business, are declared to the AEC."
The SA government is calling on the Liberal Party to return the money, with Treasurer Stephen Mullighan saying it was "outrageous" given the opposition's criticism of a donation by the CFMEU to the Labor Party, which the party said it would return.
"This donation has to be returned, or even better it has to be provided to those creditors," he said.
"We've got a clear double standard."
In a statement, SA Liberal Party Director Alex May said the party "fully" complied with the electoral disclosure requirements.
"Australia's political parties are subject to a rigorous funding and financial disclosure regime under the Commonwealth Electoral Act," she said.
"We fully comply with the funding and disclosure regime at all times."
The $125,000 CFMEU donation to Labor was reflected on the latest list, and the party also received a $161,000 donation from the United Workers Union and a $200,000 donation from construction company Pickard Capital.
Ms Zou's donation was the biggest to the SA Liberals in the financial year.
Prominent donors Pam and Ian Wall are also listed by the AEC as providing $175,000 each.
