$1.2 billion over 22 years and “associated entities” dominate

The CPI analysis is based on reports published by the Australian Electoral Commission since 1999 and finds that the Labor Party received $564.3 million during this period, while the Coalition received $499.2 million and the Greens $20 million. These figures are based on statements from each party.

Labor received $179.6 million from associated entities not including unions, while the Coalition received $194.9 million from associated entities.

The main sources of funding for the work were ALP Holdings, which gave $58.9 million, followed by John Curtin House ($49 million) and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association of Queensland ($32.7 million). of dollars).

Labor also received $24.3 million from the ACT Maritime Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, which receives regular funding from the Trades Club.

The Coalition’s largest associated entities were the Cormack Foundation, an investment company that gave $62.3 million over 22 years, followed by Vapold ($15.3 million) and the Free Enterprise Foundation ( $13.5 million).

The IPC document, which will be released on Monday and includes tables for each of the main parties, concludes that the Cormack Foundation’s disclosure last year contained more detail than other associated entities, as it revealed 3 $.9 million from investments in companies such as ANZ, BHP, NAB and Rio Tinto.

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The importance of the Cormack Foundation was highlighted in a long-running legal dispute that led to a settlement that gave the Liberal Party a 25% stake in the foundation and two of eight positions on the board.

A sign of mining magnate Clive Palmer’s campaign power in the upcoming election, his United Australia Party and predecessors have earned $132.2 million, most of it from his companies Mineralogy and Queensland Nickel, which collapsed in 2016 amid a dispute over unpaid wages.

These donations have added to others from resources and mining to all major parties, making the sector one of the biggest campaign finance influences.

Resource companies donated $21.3 million to the Coalition, according to party reports, and $4.8 million to Labor, according to donor reports to the AEC.

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Liberals and Nationals took the lead in political donations in AEC Disclosures a year ago, raising $69 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year, compared to $55 million for Labor.

In the long run, however, a steady stream of payouts from the unions has kept Labor ahead of the coalition. Labor challenges the idea that unions should be compared to the entities that help fund the Liberals, arguing that they are membership organizations.

The CPI analysis reveals that unions paid $160.2m to Labor over the 22 years in separate payments from the $179.6m from associated entities.

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Reporting of donations is often disputed because it is based on paper forms submitted to the AEC by party divisions in each state and territory as well as by donors and other entities, with regular omissions that need to be corrected later. Forms are scanned into the commission’s system and monitors must add the numbers manually to be sure of long-term trends.

Donations to the Greens over the 22 years included $2.9 million from Graeme Wood, the founder of travel site Wotif, and $1.4 million from Duncan Turpiea professional player.

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