Trump backer Pratt gave Albanese $1 million before PM attended Katy Perry party

Billionaire packaging king Anthony Pratt tipped $1 million into Anthony Albanese’s campaign fund around the time the prime minister attended a Katy Perry concert at Pratt’s house.

Pratt’s outlay was the single biggest donation as familiar faces dominated the top echelon of political donors in the past financial year, with climate activists continuing to heavily bankroll the teal independent movement.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the party where Katy Perry performed an exclusive show for Anthony Pratt.Credit: Stephen Kiprillis

The Australian Electoral Commission on Monday morning released data showing money raised and spent by Australian political parties and campaign organisations for the 2023-24 financial year.

Investors Rob Keldoulis and Marcus Catsaras were the strongest backers of the teal movement last year, donating more about $1 million each throughout the year to Climate 200, making them the joint-largest donors in the country.

Pratt, the Visy chief who supported US President Donald Trump’s campaign last year, gave $1 million to the Labor Party in January 2024.

The next month, he held a private event at his Raheen mansion at which Perry performed to a crowd of influential business and political leaders, including the prime minister. At the time, this masthead reported Pratt’s hosting of the event would likely coincide with a large donation.

Pratt has also donated millions to the Liberal Party in previous years, including funds attached to similar events designed to benefit the Coalition government of the day.

As they gear up for an election year, the Liberal and Labor parties and their state branches raked in about $70 million each, with the Liberal Party gaining a slight edge. Labor’s national office took in $15 million compared to the Liberal’s $11 million.

Climate 200, which funds the teal movement, received $5.9 million.

Of Climate 200’s donations, $144,000 and $122,000 went to Melbourne MPs Zoe Daniels and Monique Ryan, respectively, indicating the intensity of their local battles with Liberal candidates. Less than $80,000 went to each of the Sydney teal MPs.

The figures include donations, public funding from the AEC and some other types of payments that are not donations.

Other figures rounding out the top 10 donors include mathematician and long-time Greens donor Duncan Turpie who gave more than $275,000 to the Greens.

William Taylor Nominees, a private company directed by venture capital investor James Taylor, gave $533,000 to the teal movement; First Australians Capital gave $500,000 to GetUp!; Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting gave $500,000 to Coalition parties; Climate 200 provided $432,000 to teal MPs; and the Pharmacy Guild donated $402,000 to various branches of both major parties.

The biggest donors to Labor were Labor Holdings Pty Ltd ($1.04 million), the United Workers Union ($1.02 million), and Pratt.

The Coalition’s biggest were Vapold ($4.9 million) and the Cormack Foundation ($1.17 million), two of the party’s associated entities that invest using proceeds from the sales of previous party assets such as buildings and radio stations.

Analysis from the Centre for Public Integrity showed $74.2 million in “dark money” flowing into political parties from sources that are kept secret, highlighting the opacity of the current system of political disclosure.

The Albanese government has put forward a proposal to drastically cap political donations, create real-time disclosure of such payments, and limit the amount a candidate can spend in a seat. The changes are designed to curb the influence of big money in politics.

The draft legislation is on the agenda for the upcoming parliamentary sitting week. The Greens and teals have expressed scepticism about the changes because they worry the package is designed to aid the major parties.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.