AEC reveals millions donated to political parties by activists, businesses and unions

Millions donated to political parties by activists, businesses and unions, the Australian Electoral Commission has revealed.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer. Picture: Glenn Campbell / NCA NewsWire

Clive Palmer donated more than $7m to his one-senator United Australia Party in the last financial year, with new figures revealing the mining magnate used funds from his company Mineralogy to top the list of political donors, released by the Australian Electoral Commission.

AEC data showed Hadley Holdings, which is registered in Perth and has been an active company since 2000, was the second highest donor, contributing $1.025m to the coffers of leading No campaign organisation Advance Australia.

The No outfit received $5.2m in total donations, with the largest individual amount by far coming from Hadley Holdings, but paid out $4.47m. It was in debt by $40,961, having spent $4.5m on electoral expenditure.

Australian businessman and billionaire Anthony Pratt’s company Pratt Holdings was the third most generous donor, boosting the Labor Party’s war chest by $1.01m.

However, Labor’s total donations and receipts for other ser­vices came in below the Liberals and Nationals, who received more than $100m and $14m respectively. In comparison, the government received just over $80m.

Climate 200 – which funded the teals ahead of the May 2022 election – got $4.7m in donations.

The largest individual donation to Climate 200 – or any political party – was $1m from Marcus Catsaras of Avoca Beach in Sydney, while Sydney share trader Rob Keldoulis donated $700,000. Climate 200 paid out $3.5m and racked up debts worth $74,765.

Unions were some of the largest beneficiaries of donations and total receipts, with the CFMEU receiving $262.9m, the Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union’s electrical division in Queensland and the NT being gifted $227.8m and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation bringing in $123.2m.

The ANMF’s South Australian and Perth branches received another $22.2m, while the CEPU’s electrical, energy and services division recorded $68.4m in total receipts. The ACTU brought in $23m but paid out $25.2m.

Left-leaning activist outfit GetUp received $7.8m, including an $80,000 donation from Michael Cannon-Brookes backed Boundless Earth, and gifted $9.3m.

Business groups were active, with the Business Council of Australia recording $14.9m in receipts and $13.4m in payments, while the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry received $6m and made payments worth $7.8m.

The Pharmacy Guild spread more than $350,000 across political parties. Labor received almost $190,000, from the guild, which also donated more than $100,000 across the Liberal Party’s various state branches and gave more than $60,000 to the Nationals.

Former commando Heston Russell donated $650,000 to the Australian Values Party, which comes after his legal dispute with the ABC over defamation claims resulted in the broadcaster paying Russell more than $390,000.