Major Parties Spend Big However Clive Palmer Goes Larger

Clive Palmer invested more on political campaigning in the last monetary year than the 2 significant parties integrated, contribution records show.


Mr Palmer's Mineralogy pumped nearly $53 million into last May's federal election, according to Australian Electoral Commission data released on Monday.


The mining clothing spent almost $200 million on all its political campaigning in the 2024/25 fiscal year, but the billionaire failed to get any prospects from his Trumpet of Patriots party elected.


The Labor Party and all its state and territory branches got more than $150 million in the financial year and spent practically $160 million.


The then-coalition, which included Liberal and National state branches in addition to a joint branch in Queensland and the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory, got more than $220 million and spent practically $215 million.


The Greens got practically $36 million and invested more than $40 million while One Nation received and invested just over $3.3 million.


The AEC information doesn't different major-party spending for the year and the election as it does for third celebrations.


Conservative advocacy outfit Advance Australia invested more than $10 million on the election and made $13.5 million in political payments.


Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting pumped nearly $900,000 into Advance in a year.


Progressive advocacy group GetUp raised issues about wealthy donors propping up conservative campaign clothing like Advance, which declared to be a grassroots movement.


The Australian Education Union invested $5.5 million on the election, the Australian Council of Trade Unions nearly $5.5 million, the mining and energy union $3.8 million and the United Workers Union $1.5 million.


Progressive funding lorry Climate 200, which backs independent prospects, spent $5 million in the federal election while Better Australia, set up to project versus the teal independents, spent more than $1.2 million.


Labor secured a massive majority with 94 lower house seats, while the union slipped to 43.


2024-25 financial disclosure returns are now reside on the Transparency Registerhttps:// t.co/ A6LbFXu2WH https://t.co/rqe1khhIVk


- AEC (@AusElectoralCom) February 1, 2026


The federal election was the last to feature uncapped costs and donations before reforms, including costs caps, come into effect in mid-2026.


Major parties will only be able to spend $90 million on elections across the country while third-party groups will be restricted to $11 million.


The Australia Institute criticised the ramped-up money splashes and while director Bill Browne invited election reforms, he stated they didn't go far enough as there were loopholes that meant cash payments to significant parties could go undetected.


This suggested Australians would be left in the dark about who was buying access to politicians, he said.


"Even with improved donation disclosure rules, there will be cash-for-access payments that Australians never discover," he said.


Greens democracy spokesperson Steph Hodgins-May criticised Labor and the Liberals for taking money from nonrenewable fuel source, gaming and pharmaceutical companies along with the major banks, linking a lack of policy action to the business' influence over the federal government.


SportsBet, Tabcorp and Responsible Wagering Australia provided a combined $166,500 to Labor and $92,500 to the Liberals.


Major donors mainly hedged their bets between Labor and the coalition.


Pratt Holdings, led by billionaire entrepreneur Anthony Pratt, provided Labor $2 million and the Liberal Party $1 million.


Meriton provided Labor $100,000 and the Liberals $500,000 while the Pharmacy Guild provided Labor $245,000 and the union $73,000.


Oryxium, a financial investment company connected to business owner Frank Lowy, contributed $1.8 million to the Liberals, while DoorDash gave the celebration $780,000.


The food shipment company also offered $124,000 to Labor.


Fox Group, headed by trucking giant and billionaire Lindsay Fox, gave the Liberals $500,000 and the Labor Party almost $540,000.


Mining company Adani provided $640,000 to the Liberals, while Hancock Prospecting gave the Liberals' Victorian branch $105,000.