NEWS UPDATE:Ebola fighters donate $45,000 to Liberals

A COMPANY awarded a $20 million federal government contract to fight Ebola in Africa donated $45,000 to the Liberal Party.
AUSTRALIAN Electoral Commission party financial disclosures for 2013/14 show Aspen Medical gave $30,000 to the federal Liberals.
There is no date for the individual payment, but the party financial return is dated October 20, 2014. Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced on November 5 that Aspen Medical would be paid $20 million to operate a UK-built Ebola treatment centre in Sierra Leone. A spokesman for the prime minister told AAP that contract was decided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in accordance with usual procurement procedures. "Aspen - an Australian company - had a well-established track record of delivery, including in West Africa, and was able to deliver a timely response which is saving lives," the spokesman said. The AEC noted that a further $15,000 was provided to the Liberals' ACT division. But an amendment to the ACT return included the note: "Funds incorrectly paid into account. Funds returned to Aspen Medical." Labor received a $1500 donation from Aspen during the 2013/14 financial year. Australian Greens senator Lee Rhiannon says the Liberals should pay all of the money back to Aspen to avoid perceptions of a conflict of interest. "Mr Abbott as prime minister, who is clearly in an increasingly difficult situation, would be wise to show some leadership on this," she told AAP on Tuesday. Senator Rhiannon said electoral laws should be changed to ensure the government must declare whether companies receiving public funds are party donors. "It puts a spotlight onto why we need to clean up electoral funding." The Greens plan to introduce a bill to ban donations from certain industries such as mining, alcohol, gambling and tobacco, but support the idea of a wider ban on corporate donations. Comment is being sought from the Liberal Party.