Major Parties Spend Big But Clive Palmer Goes Larger

Clive Palmer spent more on political campaigning in the last financial year than the two significant parties integrated, contribution records reveal.


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


The mining attire invested practically $200 million on all its political marketing in the 2024/25 fiscal year, but the billionaire stopped working to get any candidates from his Trumpet of Patriots party chosen.


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


The then-coalition, that included Liberal and National state branches along with a joint branch in Queensland and the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory, got more than $220 million and invested nearly $215 million.


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


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


Conservative advocacy clothing 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 concerns about rich donors propping up conservative campaign outfits 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 practically $5.5 million, the mining and energy union $3.8 million and the United Workers Union $1.5 million.


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


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


2024-25 monetary 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 spending caps, entered result in mid-2026.


Major celebrations will just have the ability 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 cash 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 might go unnoticed.


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


"Even with enhanced contribution disclosure guidelines, there will be cash-for-access payments that Australians never discover," he said.


Greens democracy spokeswoman Steph Hodgins-May criticised Labor and the Liberals for taking cash from fossil fuel, betting and pharmaceutical companies as well as the major banks, connecting an absence of policy action to the business' influence over the government.


SportsBet, Tabcorp and gambling lobby 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 union.


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


Meriton offered Labor $100,000 and the Liberals $500,000 while the provided Labor $245,000 and the coalition $73,000.


Oryxium, an investment firm connected to business owner Frank Lowy, donated $1.8 million to the Liberals, while DoorDash offered the celebration $780,000.


The food shipment business also gave $124,000 to Labor.


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


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