Wealthy Sydneysiders among biggest Victorian teal backers

Four high net worth couples top the list of donors to teal independent campaigns in the state election.

Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court and wife Katrina donated $48,000 to teal independents ahead of Victoria’s November election. Picture: Josie Hayden

Wealthy tech entrepreneurs – including many with waterfront Sydney addresses – dominate the list of donors who unsuccessfully backed teal independents ahead of Victoria’s November election.

Four high-net-worth couples top the list, including Melbourne-based Culture Amp tech platform co-founder Doug English and his partner, Christy Dowling, who contributed a combined $51,840 to various teal independents.

Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court and wife Katrina were next on the list, donating $48,000 – $2000 of which went to Reason Party founder Fiona Patten with the rest distributed among lower house independents and associated entities – while Bondi photographer Tobi Wilkinson and husband Felix gave a combined total of $43,200, as did Sydney-based financial adviser Mathew Whittington and his wife, Monica.

Despite much hype in the lead-up to the November 26 poll – after teals Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel toppled then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg and assistant minister Tim Wilson at the May federal election – teal candidates did not win a single seat.

In the seat of Mornington, Kate Lardner came within 590 votes of beating Liberal Chris Crewther, having received a primary vote of 22.42 per cent compared with his 42.58 per cent.

In Kew, Hawthorn and Caulfield, Sophie Torney, Melissa Lowe and Nomi Kaltmann all finished third — after Labor as well as the elected Liberals — receiving primaries of 21.10 per cent, 19.98 per cent and 6.5 per cent respectively.

Former Cathy McGowan staffer Jacqui Hawkins ran for the Wodonga-based set of Benambra as a “yellow” independent but with support from some teal donors, coming within 777 votes of incumbent Liberal Bill Tilley.

The Australian’s analysis of disclosures to the Victorian Electoral Commission follows reforms that have capped donations at $4320 per candidate for every four-year period between elections, and require all donations over $1080 to be declared.

Because teal candidates qualify as independents rather than a party – despite sharing a support base – donors are able to contribute the maximum amount to multiple candidates.

The Liberal Party attempted to thwart the practice during the campaign, lodging a formal complaint that remains with the VEC.

Mr English and Ms Dowling each donated $4320 to Climate 200, Ms Torney and her associated fundraising entity Kew Independents Pty Ltd, Ms Lowe’s associated entity Hawthorn Independents Pty Ltd, Dr Lardner, Ms Kaltmann, and Ms Hawkins.

While a Liberal or Labor supporter could not similarly donate to their parties candidates in more than one seat, a loophole established by the Andrews government and legislated in 2018 with the support of the Coalition permits parties and candidates to have one nominated entity which is exempt from the cap.

In the case of Labor this entity is Labor Services & Holdings Pty Ltd — to which unions pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in affiliation fees — while the Liberal Party has the Cormack Foundation, worth more than $100m.

Other major teal donors included Gippsland-based businessman-turned-environmental philanthropist Jim Phillipson, who gave $25,920; Bondi-based share trader Robert Keldoulis, Lisa Barlow, of South Yarra, and Richard Davies, of Mount Martha, who gave $21,600 each; and Torquay-based Computershare co-founder Penelope Maclagan, Mosman-based tech entrepreneur Marcus Catsaras, and Simon Taylor, of Kalinga, Queensland, who each gave $17,280.

Bondi tech entrepreneur James Taylor, and Francesca Blundell and Francinus Capetti, both of South Yarra, each gave $12,960, while Melbourne businessman Peter Capp gave $10,300 and Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler donated $10,000.

Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s Point Piper-based son, Alex, gave $4320.

In stark contrast with the federal election, which saw Climate 200 provide $13 million to 23 campaigns, the fundraising vehicle distributed just $15,240 across four campaigns — largely due to the Victorian donation caps.

Candidates are allowed to make uncapped donations to their own campaigns, allowing Ms Torney — also a tech start-up founder — to give $55,000 to herself.

The teal independents’ tally of almost $680,000 from 212 donations compares with 734 donations totalling almost $1.7m which went to the Labor Party, and 394 donations totalling almost $1.3m for the Coalition.