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Should banks donate to political parties?

The withdrawal of three of the big four banks from political donations has only made the situation worse | WATCH

The much-hyped bank inquiry in Canberra this week revealed that Commonwealth Bank and NAB have stopped donating to Australian political parties, and ANZ Bank is looking at following their lead.

This means that politial parties now know that one bank, Westpac, is more important to them financially than all the rest, and that’s just asking for trouble. Watch the video.

James Kirby
James KirbyAssociate Editor - Wealth

James Kirby, Associate Editor-Wealth, is one of Australia’s most experienced financial journalists. James hosts The Australian’s twice-weekly Money Puzzle podcast.He is a regular commentator on radio and television, the author of several business biographies and has served on the Walkley Awards Advisory BoardHe was a co-founder and managing editor at Business Spectator and Eureka Report and has previously worked at the Australian Financial Review and the South China Morning Post. Since January 2025 James is a director of Ecstra, the financial literacy foundation.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/wealth/should-banks-donate-to-political-parties/news-story/d0c1d78818ae4843291f673c3f6a438f