Australian political parties have received more than $138m (£71m) in donations from undisclosed sources, known as ‘dark money’, according to an analysis of Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) data. The figures cover the 2024-25 financial year, ahead of new donation rules that come into effect on 1 July.
The current disclosure threshold of $16,900 means donors giving below this amount do not have to declare their identity. The Liberal Party received the largest amount of dark money at $74.7m, followed by Labor with $36.7m, the Greens with $19.8m, the Nationals with $4.5m, and One Nation with $2.6m. One Nation had the highest proportion of undisclosed funding, with 79% of its $3.2m total coming from unknown sources.
From 1 July, the disclosure threshold will be lowered to $5,000, and donations will be reported monthly rather than annually. A $50,000 cap on donations from a single source will also be introduced. However, transparency experts argue these reforms do not go far enough. Clancy Moore, chief executive of Transparency International Australia, said: “The new legislation doesn’t go far enough to reduce the risk of big money corrupting the political system. Sectors such as gambling, fossil fuels and aviation will still be able to exert significant sway.”
The largest declared single donor was Clive Palmer’s company Mineralogy, which gave $53.1m to the Trumpet of Patriots party, though neither party won any seats. Labor’s biggest declared donations included $3m from the Mining and Energy Union, while the Liberals received $900,000 from Oryxium Investments. The Greens declared $600,000 from the CEPU’s Electrical Division, and One Nation reported donations from its elected representatives, including $245,000 from leader Pauline Hanson.
Moore called for stronger transparency measures, including full disclosure of ‘cash-for-access’ payments and a further reduction of the disclosure threshold to $1,000. “While declared donations tell part of the story, a substantial volume of funding remains effectively hidden from view due to the $16,900 disclosure threshold,” he said.
