Clive Palmer and Anthony Pratt top political donation

One of the Liberals’ biggest donors, the Cormack Foundation, is controlled by Melbourne party figures and does not even have a website. The Australian Council of Trade Unions is a major donor to the Labor Party.

Mr Mitchell said he gave equal amounts to the two main parties over a five-year period because he believed in supporting democracy.

“I don’t want it as long as we have a strong government and a strong opposition,” he said.

Graeme Orr, an electoral law expert at the University of Queensland, said entities formally associated with political parties such as the Cormack Foundation were required to disclose their donors.

In some cases, he said, donations have been laundered by third parties to hide the original sources, which are expected to be revealed to the Australian Election Commission.

“It’s imperfectly enforced,” he said. “Money Laundering Is Supposed To Be Disclosed But It Is Very Difficult [to enforce the rules]. “

Professor Orr said he would assess the federal C-minus political donation rules, in part because of the long reporting deadlines.

Woodside Energy led the resource companies, spending $ 335,415 on donations to the three biggest parties, including $ 110,000 to Labor and Liberals and $ 55,000 to nationals.

The Macquarie Group donated $ 251,230, divided in small amounts to Labor and Liberals.

The Australian Hotels Association has donated more than $ 425,000 between its Federal, NSW and South Australian branches. Her largest donation was $ 232,301 from the NSW branch.

Four major consulting firms

Analysis by the Center for Public Integrity showed that the top five donors – Mr. Palmer, Mr. Pratt, Woodside, Macquarie and the Australian Hotels Association – accounted for 46% of contributions.

The report covers the period from July 2019 to the end of June 2020. Any donation over $ 14,000 must be disclosed.

The Coalition received $ 59 million in combined donations, ahead of Labor with more than $ 50 million in the period. The Greens received around $ 19 million.

Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting donated $ 37,000 to the Liberals.

The Big Four consulting firms gave generously: PwC gave $ 165,711 to Liberals and Labor; EY donated $ 72,372; while Deloitte donated $ 94,962 to Liberals, Labor and Nationals. KPMG donated $ 152,094 to Labor and Liberals.

Crown Resorts donated $ 184,566 to the Big Three.

ANZ donated $ 100,000 to Labor and Liberals.

Westpac donated $ 51,500 to Liberals, $ 44,900 to Labor and $ 2,200 to Nationals. The National Australia Bank donated $ 95,000, split among the Big Three, while the Commonwealth Bank donated $ 151,675.

Tobacco giant

The Australian Banking Association donated $ 74,740 to Labor and Liberals. The AMP donated $ 36,500, split between Labor and Liberals.

Visa donated $ 74,470 to the Liberal Party and $ 44,500 to the Labor Party.

Pfizer – one of the makers of a COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia – has donated $ 47,140 to the three major parties. Johnson & Johnson donated $ 35,000 to Labor and $ 27,500 to Liberals.

Tobacco giant Philip Morris has donated $ 55,000 to the Nationals.

Nine Entertainment, owner of The Australian Financial Review, donated $ 90,406 to Labor and Liberals.

The Liberal Party’s fundraising vehicle, the Greenfields Foundation, donated $ 450,000, while former Liberal President and Premier of New South Wales Nick Greiner donated $ 29 $ 500 to the party.

Transcendent Australia, the company of Chinese mining magnate Sally Zou, has donated $ 203,323 to the Federal and South Australian divisions of the Liberal Party. Ms. Zou founded the Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation.

High end player

A family trust linked to energy baron Trevor St Baker has donated $ 25,000 to the Liberals and $ 48,250 to the Labor Party.

APPEA, Australian oil production & Exploration Association, donated $ 83,309, across major parties. Santos donated $ 103,500.

Woodside Energy donated $ 131,250 to Liberals, $ 67,500 to Nationals and $ 137,500 to Labor. Whitehaven Coal donated $ 15,500 to the Liberals.

BlueScope Steel donated $ 53,000 to Labor and $ 13,800 to Liberals. The Minerals Council of Australia donated $ 145,709 during the period, split among the major parties.

Lone mathematician and high-end gamer Duncan Turpie, who is said to be part of the secret punters’ club with MONA Founder David Walsh, donated $ 150,000 to the Greens.

Chilla Bulbeck, WA Greens party leader and feminist studies scholar, donated $ 105,850 to the party’s state division.

Regular and philanthropic donors Ian and Pamela Wall, main supporters of South Australia’s liberals, have donated $ 175,000 each to the party.

Vitamin giant Blackmores has donated $ 27,500 to the Labor Party and $ 13,000 to the NSW division of the Liberal Party.

Retail giant Wesfarmers donated $ 111,000 to the two main parties and $ 1,100 to the WA branch of the Labor Party.

Star Entertainment donated $ 43,900 to Labor and Liberals. Sportsbet donated $ 27,500 to the Liberals, while Tabcorp donated $ 190,445 to the Big Three.

The powerful lobby group, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, donated $ 214,120 to major parties.

Center for Public Integrity director Joo Cheong Tham said Australia’s political donation disclosure program was misnamed.

“This is a nondisclosure program with over a third of political funding shrouded in secrecy,” he said.

“The lack of a cap on political donations has allowed a handful of donors to dominate political party funding. That the highest level of government has the weakest political finance laws is a serious weakness in Australian democracy. “

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Labor has declared all donations over $ 1,000.

“We have a problem of trust in the political system of this country. We need a national integrity commission, ”he said.