Labor MP Martin Pakula received $12k in slush fund donations, royal commission told The royal commission has heard Martin Pakula received slush fund donations. A LABOR powerbroker received more than $12,000 in election campaign donations from a union slush that raised money from its members, according to submissions to the royal commission. Martin Pakula, who will be Attorney General if Labor wins the State Election, benefited from the IR 21 fund he helped set up in 2003 when he was assistant secretary of the National Union of Workers. The fund, which has more than $1 million in the bank, hosted fundraisers where tickets were up to $1100 a head. Jeremy Stoljar, counsel assisting the royal commission into trade union corruption, said in his submission to the commission that union members" funds were used to pay for tickets to the fundraising events."It would seem that the activities of IR 21 came at a significant cost to the members of the NUW," he wrote. The National Office, Central Branch and Victorian Branch of the NUW have all contributed to financing IR 21, since its inception, by buying on average 70 tickets to IR 21"s functions." Guest speakers at the events were a who's who of the Labor Party, including former prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, and federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Former Victorian premiers Steve Bracks and John Brumby, former federal treasurer Wayne Swan, and former federal Attorney General Nicola Roxon were also drawcards. Documents show that Mr Pakula received $10,762 from the fund in 2006, $1500 for raffle tickets in April 2013. A further $3,400 was attributed to him as a payment in 2006. Mr Stoljar also wrote in the submission that many companies that paid $5000 for tables at the IR 21 "donated" them back. "They were companies that employed NUW members, had negotiated enterprise bargaining agreements with the NUW and would have considered it important to maintain a good working relationship with the NUW," he wrote. The governing rules of IR 21 allowed payments to NUW members for election campaigns in any "trade union, local government, state or federal election." (MUST KEEP IN) Mr Pakula said: "Any donations made to me by IR 21 or anyone else were properly disclosed and complied with all relevant state and federal laws." But Liberal Planning Minister Matthew Guy said: "Labor Party members treat union funds like their own personal ATM skimming operation. No Victorian, not even union members, can trust Labor to manage money. @steveheraldsun stephen.drill@news.com.au Originally published as Labor MP "got slush fund donations"