<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>337468</docID> <postdate>2025-02-03 16:17:48</postdate> <headline>Mystery money for MPs shines light on ‘dark’ donations</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-337469" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20220510001657289868-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Major political parties receive tens of millions of dollars to help swing voters their way. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Dominic Giannini</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Tens of millions of dollars of "dark" donations to political parties with no donor information because of weak disclosure laws, have sparked calls for electoral reform.</strong></p> <p>Labor and its state branches raked in $67.5 million in 2023/24, the coalition banked more than $73 million and the Greens $17 million, according to Australian Electoral Commission data released on Monday.</p> <p>The source of "hidden money" that's not required to be disclosed was almost $75 million - or 45 per cent, according to analysis by the Centre for Public Integrity.</p> <p>The origin of donations under $16,300 for 2023/24 don't need to be disclosed. This increased to $16,900 for 2024/25.</p> <p>Proposed changes to electoral laws bringing the disclosure amount down to $1000 and more stringent reporting requirements are before parliament, but they are tacked on with more controversial expenditure thresholds.</p> <p>Candidates will be limited to spending $800,000 per election campaign and can only receive donations of up to $20,000 from an individual.</p> <p>There will also be a cap on federal spending for non-political parties of $11 million, which covers unions and special interest groups such as Climate 200, while registered political parties will have a ceiling of $90 million.</p> <p>Political parties will get more cash per vote from the electoral commission.</p> <p>Independents have branded the proposal a major party stitch-up that boosts Labor and Liberal coffers with public money.</p> <p>The caps also make it harder for independents only running in a single seat to compete with candidates from major parties, who have access to tens of millions of dollars to spend on advertising.</p> <p>Independent Senator David Pocock, who declared $205,000, condemned the secrecy around donations.</p> <p>"Australia's political donation laws are currently a joke and a lack of transparency is eroding public trust in our democracy," he said.</p> <p>"It's unacceptable that Australians have to wait months, sometimes over a year, to find out which corporations and vested interests are bankrolling politicians."</p> <p>Independent MP Sophie Scamps joined his call for real-time disclosures.</p> <p>"Disclosing that after an election is too late so we need far greater transparency," she told AAP.</p> <p>Dr Scamps also called for bans on donations from the coal and gas and gambling industries.</p> <p>"We have to make sure that wealthy individuals and corporations don't have an undue influence on our democracy."</p> <p>One of the largest donations was $1 million to federal Labor by Pratt Holdings, the company of billionaire Anthony Pratt.</p> <p>Unions were a significant cash cow for Labor while banks, consultants and legal firms donated across party lines.</p> <p>Gambling companies donated tens of thousands of dollars to Labor as the government mulled reforming sports betting before shelving any legislation.</p> <p>Sportsbet donated $88,000, Tabcorp $60,500, the Lottery Corporation $44,000 and peak body Responsible Wagering Australia $66,000.</p> <p>Tens of thousands of dollars more were funnelled into some of the party's state branches.</p> <p>The gambling companies have also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the coalition.</p> <p>Tabcorp donated tens of thousands of dollars more to Labor's state divisions on top of more than $90,000 to the Liberals and Nationals and their associated state branches.</p> <p>The Greens' largest individual donor was professional gambler Duncan Turpie with $575,000.</p> <div class="wire-column__preview__text" id="preview-body"> <p>Climate200 - which largely finances teal independents - marked $6 million in total receipts for the same financial year, with more than $1 million received from Keldoulis Investments and a $1 million from Marcus Catsaras.</p> <p>It donated $145,000 to Zoe Daniel, $132,000 to Monique Ryan, almost $80,000 to Allegra Spender, $40,000 to Kylea Tink and about $30,000 to both Kate Chaney and Zali Steggall.</p> <p>Ms Daniel declared $374,000 in donations, Ms Spender $567,000, Ms Chaney $116,000, Ms Steggall $264,000, Dr Ryan $681,000 and Dr Scamps $145,000.</p> <p>Mining giant Hancock Prospecting, headed by billionaire Gina Rinehart, donated $325,000 to the Liberal National Party of Queensland, $75,000 to the Country Liberal Party of the Northern Territory and $100,000 to the Liberals South Australia branch.</p> </div> </body>