The question of whether stricter limits should be applied to donations to political parties is due for further debate as federal Parliament resumes.
The government and opposition has yet to reach a deal on appropriate limits to donations and expenditures, with critics claiming proposed reforms are designed to make it harder for independents and third parties to raise funds.
Returns lodged with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) for 2023/24 reveal that, at a federal level, the Australian Labor Party received well over $15 million, the Liberals more than $11 million, the Nationals $2.5 million, and the Greens $4.8 million.
Labor’s largest donors were the Australian taxpayer, which gave the party $1.1 million in an AEC grant based on the number of votes received.
Close behind was Pratt Holdings, the company of billionaire Anthony Pratt, which donated $1 million.
That sum eclipsed the next largest donations: $121,000 from the Pharmacy Guild from the National Automotive Leasing & Salary Packaging Association, and $88,000 each from Private Healthcare Australia and Sportsbet.
The Liberals also received $1.1 million courtesy of the taxpayer, followed by $500,000 from Meriton Property Services, which calls itself “the number one apartment developer in Australia,” and $450,000 from the Greenfields Foundation, an investment company affiliated with the party.
Tobacco, Gambling Companies Lead
The largest membership fees in 2023/24 were paid by tobacco companies Philip Morris ($100,000) and British American Tobacco ($106,700), followed by miner Adani ($66,000). Tabcorp and Responsible Wagering Australia each gave $25,000.The Greens’ largest federal donors were their Victorian, Queensland, and New South Wales branches, followed by $250,000 from Duncan Turpie, a reclusive Gold Coast gambler and mathematician.
He also donates to the party’s Queensland branch, which wants Brisbane clubs to give up their poker machines.
None of the parties seems particularly picky about the source of their donations. Wagering companies donated tens of thousands of dollars to Labor as the government considered reforming sports betting before ultimately shelving any legislation.
Sportsbet donated $88,000, Tabcorp $60,500 and peak body Responsible Wagering Australia $66,000.
The Liberals also received profits from wagering through donations: $60,000 from Sportsbet, $30,000 from the Registered Clubs Association of NSW, and $37,500 from Responsible Wagering Australia.
Tabcorp donated more than $90,000 to the Liberals, Nationals, and their associated state branches.
Sportbet’s donation to Labor on June 26, 2024, came weeks before news leaked the government had decided to reject a recommended blanket advertising ban in favour of caps. It also donated $15,000 to the Nationals.
Climate200 Gets $2 Million From Share Traders
On the other side of that debate, Climate200—which spends most of its money on teal independents—reported $6 million in total receipts for the financial year.More than $1 million each came from Marcus Catsaras and Keldoulis Investments, owned by Robert Keldoulis. Both are share traders.
The Proposed Reforms
The proposed reforms, which will likely be debated within the next two weeks, involve reducing the threshold at which donations must be declared from the current $16,900 to $1,000 and limiting spending by individual candidate to just $800,000 per election. They would also be limited to a maximum donation of $20,000 from any one individual.It is these restrictions which critics claim are designed by Labor and the Liberals to hobble independents, who would not be able to benefit from additional spending and funding from state and federal party machines.
There will also be a cap on federal spending for non-political parties of $11 million, which covers unions and special interest groups like Climate 200, while registered political parties will have a ceiling of $90 million.
If the reforms pass, political parties will also get more cash per vote from the AEC.
