Visy billionaire Anthony Pratt tops 2023-24 donations list with $1m pledge to Labor

The Australian billionaire topped the political donations list with a $1m gift to one party, but he wasn’t the only rich-lister helping out.

Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt has topped the 2023-24 political donations list with a $1m pledge to the Australian Labor Party.

Newly released transparency data by the Australian Electoral Commission revealed Pratt Holdings made the sizeable donation on January 11.

In February last year, Anthony Albanese was under media scrutiny after he attended a private function organised by the Visy chairman at his Melbourne mansion that featured a performance by pop star Katy Perry.

In recent weeks, Mr Pratt, who has recently relocated his family to the US, has also thrown his support behind US President Donald Trump.

Billionaire Anthony Pratt donated $1m to the Australian Labor Party. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Apartment developers Meriton Properties, owned by billionaire developer Harry Triguboff, was the biggest donator to Australia’s Liberal Party with two payments totalling $590,000, while Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart donated $500,000 to the Liberals’ Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australian parties.

Climate 200 donated $432,941 to individual teal candidates, with donations to Zoe Daniels ($144,965) and Monique Ryan ($132,465) topping the list.

The Kylea Tink Independent Ltd also received $40,281 from the group.

Labor’s federal division received just more than $15m in donations, plus more than $52m from their state divisions.

The Liberal Party’s federal branch received $11m, with state branches netting $63.2m.

Across both federal and state divisions, the Nationals received $8.6m, while the Greens received $17m, with the federal division pulling in $4.8m.

Billionaire Gina Rinehart also donated $500,000 to three Liberal state and territory branches. Picture: NewsWire/ Phil Gostelow

Labor is attempting to pass electoral reforms that will legislate $200,000 donation caps from individual donors and limit campaign spending to $90m for registered parties, plus senate caps of $200,000 per division in each state.

While the measures would not apply to this year’s federal election, they also includes provisions for real-time donations reporting during election periods.

The donation disclosure threshold would also be lowered from $16,900 to $1000.

However, on Sunday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton confirmed no deal had been reached, with discussions ongoing.

For Labor to pass the reforms, it will need the support of the Coalition, with fuming crossbench independents arguing the reduced donation and spending caps unfairly favour major parties and sitting MPs.

Originally published as Visy billionaire Anthony Pratt tops 2023-24 donations list with $1m pledge to Labor