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Account Number:
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This special report provides a window into the murky world of political donations. Updated Feb 2021 with 2019-20 data.
Mind The Gap: An Interactive Report Into Accountability In Political Donations
AusGovInfo 26th Feb 2020
AusGovInfo 26th Feb 2020
This special report provides a window into the murky world of political donations. Updated Feb 2021 with 2019-20 data.
Mind The Gap: An Interactive Report Into Accountability In Political Donations
Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that the Center for Public Integrity had calculated the sources for political donations that are not disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commision at just over $100 million for the 18-19 financial year for the major parties.
I've taken that analysis much further by breaking it down by party, branch, year and donor type. Use the buttons above to see the breakdown by party. Figures are in millions.
Explained v Unexplained receipts to political parties
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) only requires the sources of donations that fall above what is known as the disclosure threshold to be reported to them. In 18-19 the disclosure threshold is $13,800. The figure is indexed to the CPI.
The extra data now provided by the AEC makes it possible (with a lot of work) to categorise political donors by the entity type. What comes through loud and clear in the data is that types of donors fall into two main categories: representatives of Capital (those who own the means of production) and representatives of those who do not, the workers.
Marxism sees power in society divided between two opposing classes. Each individual in society is defined by our relationship to the means of production. While these means of production (ownership of land, factories, access to natural resources) change with technology, the underlying conflict between those who own the means to produce goods (factories, shareholders) and those who own only their own labour is the fuel that powers the class conflict which we see played out to this day in our society and politics.
Within these broad class categories, sub-groups form along both sides of this divide. Whether a political donor is a business, individual, industry association or other group, they typically represent one or the other side of the Capital/worker binary. Financials are summed over the last six financial years.
Political Parties, Associated Entities, Third Parties and Political Campaigners must now provide certain information to the Australian Electoral Commission which includes amounts spent on political communications. These are included for the first time in my political donations transparency project. Click on the buttons above to see the budgets of each entity type along with donations made.
See the tabs below for definitions of qualifying information for each of these AEC lists. Organisations can be on more than one AEC list. When counting donations by category, I provide the data from all relevant datasets but count each entity according to the highest disclosure threshold relevant to each organisation.
The Commonwealth funding and disclosure scheme (the disclosure scheme) detailed under Part XX of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act) was introduced to increase overall transparency and inform the public about the financial dealings of political parties, candidates and others involved in the electoral process.
The disclosure scheme requires candidates, Senate groups, political parties, political campaigners, associated entities, third parties and donors to lodge election or annual financial disclosure returns with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
An associated entity under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (s287) means an entity:
that is controlled by one or more registered political parties; or
that operates wholly or to a significant extent for the benefit of one or more registered political parties; or
that is a financial member of a registered political party; or
on whose behalf another person is a financial member of a registered political party; or
that has voting rights in a registered political party; or
on whose behalf another person has voting rights in a registered political party. AEC
There is a requirement for the registration of a person or entity that meets the definition of a political campaigner. Registration as a political campaigner is required when:
electoral expenditure exceeds $500,000 during that financial year or any one of the previous three financial years; or
electoral expenditure exceeds $100,000 during that financial year, and electoral expenditure during the previous financial year was at least two-thirds of the revenue of the person or entity for that year.
Political campaigners are required to provide annual financial disclosure returns with the AEC.
This data has only been collected by the AEC for the 18-19 financial year due to recent changes in legislation.
Name
Electoral Expenditure
Receipts
Payments
Debts
Discretionary Benefits
1
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF TRADE UNIONS
21,241,307
24,582,154
30,368,325
3,742,665
121,390
2
AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION
5,390,071
115,515,255
92,186,753
12,471,486
0
3
GETUP LIMITED
3,125,795
13,748,803
14,446,914
126,112
0
4
UNITED WORKERS UNION
2,248,545
201,226,293
64,680,832
2,713,117
0
5
ADVANCE AUSTRALIA
1,995,453
2,405,143
1,995,453
70,199
0
6
AUSTRALIAN NURSING & MIDWIFERY FEDERATION
1,675,209
77,659,475
82,705,209
2,784,648
818,249
7
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF TRADE UNIONS
1,525,845
18,756,121
18,135,635
1,429,562
47,190
8
ADVANCE AUSTRALIA
1,502,073
1,301,243
1,457,208
44,865
0
9
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION NATIONAL OFFICE
1,117,724
181,287,818
187,704,316
21,233,487
0
10
WARRINGAH INDEPENDENT LIMITED
956,024
1,356,824
1,345,794
130,419
0
11
AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
695,836
11,870,425
7,967,030
321,053
4,400,000
12
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
614,491
7,233,467
7,053,749
503,397
71,006
13
ANIMALS AUSTRALIA FEDERATION
515,879
13,922,917
8,280,482
227,708
0
14
AUSTRALIAN MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATIVE CLERICAL AND SERVICES UNION
500,000
4,730,233
4,390,336
0
0
15
AUSTRALIAN NURSING & MIDWIFERY FEDERATION
399,684
95,682,225
85,251,776
4,707,155
639,534
16
NEW SOUTH WALES NURSES AND MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION
364,922
48,332,559
48,160,108
706,429
95,838
17
AEU NSW TEACHERS FEDERATION
309,258
44,158,939
35,996,117
1,177,047
0
18
KP INDEPENDENTS LIMITED
281,944
722,381
720,377
125,833
0
19
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
245,564
13,084,264
13,790,811
228,476
130,000
20
AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION
182,294
94,189,852
81,122,775
11,204,482
89,994
21
DICK SMITH
128,889
11,161
128,889
0
0
22
DICK SMITH
117,535
5,437
117,535
0
0
23
GETUP LIMITED
114,570
10,869,886
10,006,889
4,792
0
24
PENINSULA INDEPENDENT LIMITED
107,942
205,218
196,674
12,500
0
25
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION NATIONAL OFFICE
78,393
201,423,428
199,309,419
13,596,354
0
26
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
52,084
7,716,008
6,877,728
732,142
924,486
27
AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION VICTORIAN BRANCH
15,902
52,635,501
26,411,161
10,752,692
0
28
AEU NSW TEACHERS FEDERATION
3,104
44,641,058
35,029,167
1,045,389
50,000
29
WARRINGAH INDEPENDENT LIMITED
1,650
626,129
445,549
1,870
0
30
ANIMALS AUSTRALIA FEDERATION
0
20,736,308
13,384,123
0
0
31
AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
0
9,828,156
7,688,508
238,128
2,200,000
32
AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION VICTORIAN BRANCH
0
0
0
0
0
33
AUSTRALIAN MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATIVE CLERICAL AND SERVICES UNION
0
4,512,626
4,032,746
0
0
34
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
0
13,513,451
14,673,604
12,643
55,000
35
KP INDEPENDENTS LIMITED
0
0
0
0
0
36
LET AUSTRALIA LTD
0
24,749,905
20,522,865
0
0
37
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
0
26,423,421
21,658,530
1,134,406
3,594,989
38
NEW SOUTH WALES NURSES AND MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION
0
51,827,788
48,929,263
599,321
111,563
39
PENINSULA INDEPENDENT LIMITED
0
0
0
0
0
40
THE MINDEROO FOUNDATION PTY LTD ATF THE MINDEROO FOUNDATION TRUST
0
822,280,412
392,126,592
16,885,480
217,618,067
41
UNITED WORKERS UNION
0
85,050,751
99,131,706
2,975,484
0
42
UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA
0
14,230,338
10,825,166
431,012
2,288,000
43
INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA
0
26,429,436
26,280,343
134,055
0
44
LET AUSTRALIA LTD
0
16,573,098
25,806,286
0
0
45
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
0
23,897,410
20,820,676
805,753
65,340
46
THE MINDEROO FOUNDATION PTY LTD ATF THE MINDEROO FOUNDATION TRUST
0
656,050,635
42,203,546
2,860,140
275,000
47
UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA
0
17,250,822
12,182,303
206,582
0
A ‘third party’ is a person or entity (other than a political entity or a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate) incurring electoral expenditure that is:
more than the disclosure threshold during a financial year; but
below the amount that would require registration as a ‘political campaigner’ (see below).
AEC
There are instances of organisations that appear both on the AEC list of Associated Entities and the list of Third Parties. There are also instances of organisations that appear on the Political Campaigners list and the Third Parties list. Among these entities there are entries for Electoral Expenditure for organisations in the Poltical Campaigners table that have no corresponding entry for 18-19 in the Third Parties data.
Name
Years
Expenditure
Candidate
Printing
Broadcast
Opinion Polls
Issue
Gifts Received
1
GETUP
13/14-17/18
29,046,639
7,263,250
3,549,203
0
792,421
14,536,296
1,193,693
2
ACTU
13/14-17/18
24,038,859
451,674
17,317,762
0
2,269,435
2,931,987
25,469,396
3
AEU
13/14-17/18
11,798,792
1,668,132
4,678,662
0
492,654
2,099,254
0
4
COAL21
15/16-17/18
9,998,631
0
7,293,535
0
56,130
646,145
0
5
UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA
13/14-17/18
5,467,078
0
3,313,450
0
333,256
0
10,000,000
6
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
15/16-18/19
4,657,918
0
1,924,756
0
0
222,761
0
7
BCA
15/16-17/18
4,554,229
16,500
3,013,428
0
106,700
338,974
220,000
8
NMA
13/14-17/18
3,789,234
22,166
3,096,665
0
88,270
40,763
0
9
ANIMALS AUSTRALIA FEDERATION
17/18-17/18
2,467,532
0
0
0
0
197,130
0
10
UNITED VOICE
13/14-17/18
2,137,691
712,109
84,876
0
90,727
803,063
0
11
AMWU
13/14-18/19
1,956,284
0
0
0
2,295
136,566
0
12
INDUSTRY SUPER
16/17-17/18
1,677,001
0
1,677,001
0
0
0
0
13
WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE AUSTRALIA
13/14-18/19
1,563,467
0
121,728
0
46,310
2,500
1,606,000
14
AMACSU
13/14-18/19
1,406,010
1,288,623
0
0
6,253
0
0
15
DICK SMITH
17/18-17/18
1,375,881
0
0
0
0
0
0
16
NTEU
13/14-17/18
1,371,456
320,614
790,319
0
35,069
67,990
0
17
AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
13/14-17/18
1,207,018
0
777,254
0
59,482
45,843
0
18
CFMEU
13/14-17/18
1,003,403
853,191
33,376
0
0
34,448
0
19
MINDEROO FOUNDATION
17/18-17/18
973,194
0
796,049
0
177,145
0
402,000,000
20
AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
13/14-18/19
928,546
0
0
0
128,878
124,003
0
21
ANMF
17/18-18/19
807,834
252
0
0
0
602,070
0
22
MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA
15/16-18/19
775,026
0
70,317
0
0
0
0
23
QUEENSLAND NURSES AND MIDWIVES UNION
15/16-18/19
774,669
10,359
131,338
0
0
406,550
0
24
QUEENSLAND TEACHERS UNION OF EMPLOYEES
13/14-17/18
726,656
0
242,000
0
7,010
425,434
0
25
GREENPEACE AUSTRALIA PACIFIC
13/14-18/19
478,195
139,705
28,045
0
43,047
15,340
0
26
UNIONS NSW
13/14-18/19
460,810
157,252
0
0
41,800
0
0
27
PSU
15/16-18/19
453,467
22,094
500
0
10,655
31,693
0
28
AUSTRALIAN YOUTH CLIMATE COALITION
17/18-18/19
437,483
0
0
0
0
13,170
0
29
SDAE
13/14-18/19
431,762
163,591
14,022
0
96,605
82,809
0
30
AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LOBBY
13/14-18/19
430,978
28,386
0
0
21,450
149,478
273,640
31
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
15/16-15/16
429,782
0
419,212
0
0
0
0
32
MEAA
13/14-14/15
412,836
23,158
0
0
0
0
0
33
BOB BROWN FOUNDATION
18/19-18/19
375,750
0
0
0
0
0
34,045
34
ONE COMMUNITY SA
15/16-15/16
351,329
0
123,762
0
0
0
0
35
CEPU
13/14-18/19
317,793
0
0
0
0
0
0
36
THE SUNRISE PROJECT AUSTRALIA
16/17-18/19
306,548
0
0
0
36,960
71,772
865,000
37
WORLD VISION AUSTRALIA
15/16-16/17
262,490
0
0
0
13,000
54,515
262,490
38
NUW
13/14-17/18
242,294
54,753
0
0
47,675
65,541
0
39
AWU
13/14-18/19
239,904
0
0
0
34,724
0
0
40
WILDERNESS SOCIETY
15/16-18/19
229,108
0
0
0
5,000
25,203
89,750
41
FARMERS FOR CLIMATE ACTION
17/18-18/19
221,539
0
58,566
0
0
0
482,704
42
TASMANIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
18/19-18/19
220,629
0
0
0
0
0
0
43
CPSU
17/18-18/19
200,000
0
0
0
0
150,000
0
44
ETU
13/14-18/19
191,946
0
1,000
0
0
0
0
45
ASU
13/14-18/19
182,367
0
0
0
0
8,410
0
46
CHERISH LIFE QUEENSLAND
18/19-18/19
151,218
0
0
0
0
0
20,000
47
SA ROAD TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION
15/16-15/16
150,000
0
150,000
0
0
0
100,000
48
CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK
18/19-18/19
140,113
0
0
0
0
0
143,400
49
CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS AUSTRALIA
18/19-18/19
139,803
0
0
0
0
0
47,500
50
SMART ENERGY COUNCIL (PREVIOUSLY AUSTRALIAN SOLAR COUNCIL)
15/16-18/19
136,908
26,280
0
0
0
0
36,000
51
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS
18/19-18/19
130,233
0
0
0
0
0
143,257
52
JOHN CRAWFORD
18/19-18/19
129,545
0
0
0
0
0
45,000
53
ENVIRONMENT VICTORIA
15/16-18/19
128,271
25,209
6,953
0
15,400
49,900
0
54
THE CLIMATE INSTITUTE
13/14-14/15
107,010
9,650
31,210
0
38,650
0
220,000
55
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
18/19-18/19
102,964
0
0
0
0
0
0
56
AUSTRALIAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATION
15/16-15/16
97,509
0
0
0
16,072
32,920
0
57
THE OAKTREE FOUNDATION AUSTRALIA
15/16-17/18
97,507
0
0
0
0
89,245
0
58
GENDER AWARENESS AUSTRALIA
18/19-18/19
87,454
0
0
0
0
0
0
59
ALLIANCE OF AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS
13/14-17/18
79,338
0
0
0
0
0
0
60
NATIONAL CIVIC COUNCIL
15/16-16/17
72,537
51,219
21,318
0
0
0
0
61
QUEENSLAND COUNCIL OF UNIONS
15/16-15/16
71,390
134
0
0
3,297
63,375
0
62
COUNCIL OF MAYORS (SEQ)
15/16-17/18
66,747
0
0
0
0
65,958
0
63
MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION
15/16-15/16
56,685
0
0
0
0
56,685
0
64
ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY NATIONAL COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
17/18-17/18
50,210
0
0
0
0
50,210
0
65
FAIR AGENDA
16/17-18/19
44,730
0
0
0
0
17,947
20,000
66
DRAGOMAN
17/18-18/19
41,231
0
0
0
0
25,000
0
67
STATE SCHOOL TEACHERS UNION
18/19-18/19
39,804
0
0
0
0
0
0
68
AUSTRALIAN MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
18/19-18/19
37,261
0
0
0
0
0
0
69
IEU
18/19-18/19
34,740
0
0
0
0
0
0
70
HSU
13/14-18/19
33,000
0
0
0
0
0
0
71
RSPCA AUSTRALIA
17/18-17/18
26,271
0
0
0
2,700
23,571
0
72
AUSTRALIAN TAXPAYERS ALLIANCE
18/19-18/19
25,620
0
0
0
0
0
0
73
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
18/19-18/19
24,750
0
0
0
0
0
0
74
USU
18/19-18/19
23,180
0
0
0
0
0
0
75
AMIEU
15/16-15/16
21,420
21,420
0
0
0
0
0
76
VOICES FOR FARRER
18/19-18/19
21,148
0
0
0
0
0
0
77
RITEON
18/19-18/19
20,551
0
0
0
0
0
0
78
CATHOLIC EDUCATION MELBOURNE
17/18-18/19
20,054
0
0
0
0
0
0
79
IR21
18/19-18/19
16,460
0
0
0
0
0
0
80
RTBU
13/14-18/19
16,335
0
0
0
0
0
0
81
SAVE THE CHILDREN AUSTRALIA
16/17-16/17
16,280
0
0
0
16,280
0
0
82
TWU
13/14-17/18
15,622
0
0
0
0
0
0
83
GREEN MUSIC AUSTRALIA
17/18-17/18
6,100
0
0
0
0
6,100
0
84
350 AUSTRALIA
17/18-17/18
4,708
0
0
0
0
4,708
0
85
THE FOOD PRESERVERS UNION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA UNION OF WORKERS
13/14-16/17
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
86
AFULE
13/14-13/14
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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