Liberal party plans three $2,500-a-head fundraising events in Canberra amid Covid risk

The Liberal party is attempting to organise at least three fundraising events in Canberra to coincide with the looming resumption of parliament, despite prior health advice warning of the heightened Covid-19 risk posed by sitting periods.

Guardian Australia understands that the party’s Western Australian division is organising three separate Liberal party fundraising dinners featuring the prime minister’s assistant minister, Ben Morton, for the two-week sitting period starting 24 August.

The events are planned for 25 August, 26 August and 2 September, and are advertised as featuring appearances from Paul Fletcher, the communications minister, Simon Birmingham, the trade minister, and Anne Ruston, the social services minister, respectively.

Attendees are being asked to pay $2,500 a head, and told that social distancing will be in force and that the plans may change if the Covid-19 crisis deteriorates further.

Related: Cabinet ministers charge taxpayers for trip involving Liberal party fundraiser

The party’s decision to plan fundraising events in Canberra sits uncomfortably with previous health advice about sitting periods.

In July the acting chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, advised that, even with mitigation measures, sitting periods posed a high risk of spreading Covid-19, given the sudden influx of politicians, staffers, lobbyists and others to Canberra from all over the country.

In July the risk was deemed too great to allow the planned early sitting period in the first two weeks of August.

“For parliament to work we need to have people both in the Senate and in the House of Representatives from all of the states and territories, so flying in from all states and territories, by the nature of their work, even with physical distancing, hygiene, and all of the other measures that we put in place of all of our lives, but including in the Parliament House, there is a large number of people from all over Australia converging in one place for an intense period and then going back to their normal places,” Kelly said. “That would be deemed a mass gathering in any way that you would consider it and we feel that, that is a high risk.”

Morton, who represents the WA seat of Tangney, said the events were not being organised by his office but by the “Tangney Campaign”, which is part of the WA division.

“It would be wrong to suggest it was arranged by the assistant minister’s office,” a spokeswoman said.

“The Australian government advice is that Australians should comply with the relevant advice in the State or Territory where they are located. As appropriate, these very small events will only go ahead if they strictly comply with the relevant Covid safe rules that apply for venues in the ACT.”

The government has made plans to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 outbreaks when parliament resumes. Victorian politicians are being asked to quarantine for two weeks – either at home or in the Australian Capital Territory – and be tested before the planned resumption of parliament.

The ABC has also reported that non-Victorian politicians will be encouraged to avoid public settings while in Canberra, splitting their time between parliament and their accommodation.

Donations to both parties have reportedly dried up during the Covid-19 pandemic. News Corp has previously reported that both the Liberal party and Labor are considering applying for jobkeeper payments to help pay the wages of their staff.

A similar drop-off in donations has been seen in the US.