A failed Gold Coast mayoral candidate has been charged with perjury after allegedly lying to the Queensland corruption watchdog's inquiry into local government.
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The Crime and Corruption Commission on Friday charged CFMEU-backed 2016 candidate Penny Toland after earlier claiming part of her evidence did "not seem credible".
The 37-year-old Labor Party member, running as an independent, was granted watchhouse bail, to face the Southport Magistrates Court on December 13.
Ms Toland was alleged to have knowingly given false testimony to the CCC's Operation Belcarra inquiry into the conduct of candidates at the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Logan council elections.
In a statement issued by defence lawyer Chris Nyst, she vowed to fight the charges.
"I am devastated to have my integrity called into question in this way," she said.
"As far as I was aware everything I said to the CCC from start to finish was absolutely truthful.
"It may be that I was mistaken about minor details of events that happened 12 months and more earlier, but at no stage did I intentionally lie about anything."
She was called before the inquiry on June 14 to give evidence over allegations she failed to disclose donations from the militant Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.
The inquiry found Ms Toland took almost $40,000 in donations from the militant union between February 16 and April 28, 2016, which was not declared on her Electoral Commission of Queensland disclosure return.
Ms Toland repeatedly told the inquiry the CFMEU's assistance had not been discussed with her and no one had sought her approval.
"I'm aware that they ran a campaign that was supportive of me but that was outside my campaign," she said.
But CFMEU state secretary Michael Ravbar gave evidence he assumed the donations were made at "her initiative".
"We always consult with the candidate and the candidate's team before we do anything," he said, adding he had not had detailed discussions with the candidate.
Donations included bus advertising and T-shirts for the campaign.
Assistant state secretary Andrew Sutherland told the inquiry he would have told Ms Toland about both arrangements.
"I'm providing a bunch of shirts for her campaign. I'm going to let her know that they're coming, yes," he said.
In its final report of the inquiry into the 2016 local government elections, delivered in October, the CCC found Ms Toland's evidence she was unaware of the CFMEU's expenditure or activities did "not seem credible".
"Irrespective of whether or not she was aware during her campaign, it is clear that Ms Toland was made aware of the donations either at the same time as she had submitted her disclosure return, or shortly after," the report found.
The CCC formed the view that the CFMEU had donated $38,241 as gifts in-kind to Ms Toland's campaign and these should have been disclosed in Ms Toland's return.
Mr Nyst said the organisation offered his client the chance to avoid prosecution by publicly admitting to giving "untrue evidence".
"That would have been a lie, and I was simply unwilling to do that," Ms Toland said.
Her lawyer added: "She was painfully aware of the all the ramifications of being publicly charged, but she purported to take the honourable course of refusing to lie, by declaring herself perjurer, simply to avoid being prosecuted."
