The Liberal-National coalition received over half of all political donations in the last financial year.
The Australian Electoral Commission released data yesterday on all political donations received by Australian political parties.
The Coalition is the front-runner for most donations received, with other conservative parties also being bankrolled by the rich.
Coalition Scores more than half of all donations
The Liberal-National coalition scored a total of $9.67 million from all donations in 2020-21.
The Australian Labor Party received $5.6 million. The Greens, who notoriously do not accept donations from big businesses, received only $259,497 – all from individuals or estates.
Bob Katter’s Party secured $350,000 in donations which all came from various shooting and firearm associations.
Australia’s 2nd richest man was the most generous donor to political parties in the last financial year. Anthony Pratt donated over $1.2 million dollars to the Liberal Party in the last financial year. However he also gave $10,000 to the Australian Labor Party.
The second most generous donor gave over a half a million dollars to the conservative party, Advance Australia.
Conservative lobby party raking in political donations
Advance Australia received the third-most donations in the last financial year, raking in $1.32 million.
Nonetheless, Advance Australia is still a relatively new conservative lobby party. So far it’s targeting Labor’s superannuation policy and campaigning to keep Australia Day on January 26.
Get Up! National Director Paul Oosting says the party is more self-serving.
“Advance Australia is a group of rich white men on a campaign to make themselves richer,” he said.
“They want to work on issues that are in their own self-interest, that are the vested interests of the corporate lobby they represent.”
The biggest bank-rollers of the party, donating $650,000 are “Silver River Investment Holdings Pty Ltd”. The company directors are Simon and Elizabeth Fenwick, of Mosman, in Sydney. Elizabeth is also listed as the sole director of Cartwright Investment Corp. Simon, a former fund manager, announced his intention to start funding Advance Australia in 2020, citing concerns about “left-wing agendas” and “dictatorial” politicians like Dan Andrews.
Who does your bank support with its political donations?
ANZ handed over $121,000 to the Labor Party, $116,500 to the Liberal party, $6,600 to the National party.
Commonwealth Bank donated $75,000 to the Labor Party, $73,080 to the Liberal Party and 11,000 to the Nationals.
Westpac gave $60,095 to Labor, $66,470 to Liberals and $1,981 to the Liberal National Party.
NAB donated $55,000 to both Labor and Liberal equally.
No bank made any donation to the Greens.
Sarah is a civil solicitor who primarily practices in defamation, intentional torts against police, privacy and harassment.
