Wealthy individuals, consultancy firms and unions among biggest federal political donors
The wealthy individuals, unions and companies donating to Australia’s political parties have been revealed, with Clive Palmer topping the list as the biggest donor. READ THE LIST
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Australia’s two major political parties raked in more than $196m in the year after the federal election, largely thanks to the deep pockets of wealthy individuals, unions, and mining, gambling and consultancy firms.
Billionaire Clive Palmer was Australia’s biggest single political donor in 2022-23, tipping $7.1m into his one-senator United Australia Party through his mining company Mineralogy.
Last financial year Labor received $84.4m, while the Liberals, including the LNP in Queensland, reported $111.6m over the same period, according to the Australian Electoral Commission’s transparency register updated on Thursday.
The Greens received $25.6m, the Nationals reported $13.6m and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation received $4.5m.
Packaging billionaire Anthony Pratt gave $1m to Labor through his company Pratt Holdings, while Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting gave $150,000 to the Liberals.
Former commando turned political aspirant Heston Russell donated $650,000 to his Australian Values Party.
Labor received millions of dollars in donations and receipts from unions, including the at least $458,000 from the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), almost $950,000 from the United Workers Union, almost $1.3m from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association, and $676,000 from the Australian Workers Union.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) gave $224,022 to Labor and $145,967 to the Coalition during the last financial year.
The other “big four” consulting firms also made substantial donations, with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu giving $177,126, KPMG donating $163,200 and Ernst & Young proffering $227,737. All favoured Labor, with Ernst & Young heavily doing so giving $186,732to the party in government.
Sportsbet donated $110,000 to Labor, $60,000 to the Liberals and $33,000 to the Nationals, while Tabcorp Holdings gave Labor$55,500, and the Coalition $44,650. Labor also received millions of dollars in donations and receipts from unions.
The NSW Labor branch reported $75,000 in receipts from Labor Paramatta MP Dr Andrew Charlton.
Power station owner Trevor St Baker gave $86,750 to the Coalition and a further $50,000 to conservative group Advance Australia.
Wentworth MP Allegra Spender collected the most donations of any of the “teal” independent members, receiving $317,803 from 57 donors.
Philip Morris gave $75,000 to the Nationals – the only party to have accepted a donation from a tobacco company.
Adani Mining gave $17,500 to the Liberal National Party in Queensland.
Australia Institute democracy and accountability program director Bill Browne said the “mass release” of 2022-23 data highlighted the “lack of transparency and integrity in Australian politics”.
“We are learning today whether businesses made political donations 18 months ago,” he said.
“These lags and loopholes make it difficult to see how politicians and political parties are being funded – and by whom.”
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said it remained “the Labor view” that lowering the $15,200 donation threshold and publishing data in a more timely way should be a “focus” of the government.
Conservative political group Advance Australia recorded $5.2m in receipts, including a donation of $1m from Western Australia’s Hadley Holdings.
Other donors to the group included $25,000 from Marcus Blackmore, $50,000 from Melbourne Storm director Brett Ralph, $100,000 from Perth doctor Bryant Macfie and $100,000 from Sydney millionaire Rodney O’Neil through his companies Sixmilebridge and Nedigi.
Coalition employment and workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash accused unions of paying Labor to “have their demands met” by the Albanese Government.
“On top of the $5.7 million in donations to Labor, the unions spent an additional $1.37 million on political campaigning,” she said.
“This government will do anything to deliver for their union paymasters and we can only expect more and more demands as the money continues to flow.”
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Originally published as Wealthy individuals, consultancy firms and unions among biggest federal political donors
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