Major Parties Spend Big But Clive Palmer Goes Larger

Clive Palmer invested more on political campaigning in the last fiscal year than the two significant celebrations integrated, contribution records show.


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


The mining clothing spent nearly $200 million on all its political marketing in the 2024/25 financial year, however the billionaire failed to get any prospects from his Trumpet of Patriots party chosen.


The Labor Party and all its state and area branches got more than $150 million in the financial year and invested almost $160 million.


The then-coalition, that 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 invested almost $215 million.


The Greens got almost $36 million and spent more than $40 million while One Nation got and spent simply over $3.3 million.


The AEC data does not different major-party costs for the year and the election as it does for 3rd parties.


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


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


Progressive advocacy group GetUp raised issues about wealthy donors propping up conservative project attire like Advance, which claimed 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 financing automobile Climate 200, which backs independent candidates, spent $5 million in the federal election while Better Australia, established to against the teal independents, spent more than $1.2 million.


Labor secured a massive bulk with 94 lower home seats, while the coalition slipped to 43.


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


- AEC (@AusElectoralCom) February 1, 2026


The federal election was the last to include uncapped spending and donations before reforms, consisting of spending caps, come into impact in mid-2026.


Major celebrations will just be able to spend $90 million on elections nationwide while third-party groups will be limited to $11 million.


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


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


"Even with improved contribution disclosure rules, there will be cash-for-access payments that Australians never ever learn about," he said.


Greens democracy spokeswoman Steph Hodgins-May criticised Labor and the Liberals for taking money from fossil fuel, gaming and pharmaceutical business as well as the significant banks, linking a lack of policy action to the business' influence over the federal government.


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


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


Pratt Holdings, led by billionaire businessman 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 coalition $73,000.


Oryxium, a financial investment business connected to businessman Frank Lowy, donated $1.8 million to the Liberals, while DoorDash gave the party $780,000.


The food shipment business likewise provided $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 gave $640,000 to the Liberals, while Hancock Prospecting gave the Liberals' Victorian branch $105,000.