The Australian Labor Party in Canberra faces a huge shift in its revenue base with the imminent sale of its four Labor Club premises.
The profitable club has 440 poker machines in venues in Belconnen, Civic, Charnwood and Weston Creek. The party established the club in 1979 and it accounts for almost half of the ACT Labor Party's political donations.
In 2007-08, the club donated $558,123 to the party, almost half of the $1,183,748 the ACT branch received that year. The Canberra Liberals and ACT Greens netted $967,823 and $410,939 respectively during the year.
The Labor Club board is negotiating with four potential buyers for the venues as a package, which is expected to net the party more than $20 million.
More from ALP ACT branch secretary Bill Redpath in today's Canberra Times