Wednesday 12 February 2014

Australian Electoral Commission 2012-13 financial year annual returns by political parties, donors and others


The Australian Electoral Commission’s has released the 2012-13 financial year annual returns by political parties, donors and peak industry bodies/unions/political lobbyists.

Some interesting snippets.....

Universities Australia spent $4.75 million on opinion polling and broadcasting, printing, production, publication or distribution of political comment.

GetUp! spent $3.03 million on opinion polling and broadcasting, printing, production, publication or distribution of political comment

Phillip Morris Ltd spent $30,382 on public expression of views on a political party, candidate in an election or member of the Federal Parliament by any means and a further $19,359 on opinion polling and broadcasting, printing, production, publication or distribution of political comment. This company also donated $82,040 to the Liberal Party and $25,000 to the National Party.

Roslyn Packer (widow of Clive Packer) donated $580,400 to the Liberal Party, with the bulk of this money going to the Liberal Party national body and only $400 going to the NSW division. However, the national body only appears to have recorded a donation of $570,000. This would leave a discrepancy of $10,000 between these annual returns.

Lachlan Murdoch donated $22,000 to the Liberal Party.

Gina Rinehart through Hancock Coal Pty Ltd donated $44,880 to the National Party and $55,000 to the Labor Party. While Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd donated $55,000 to the National Party and $8,250 to the Liberal National Party of Queensland. The national body also listed under "Other" an additional $22,000 received from Hancock Coal Pty Ltd (GVK).

International Motors Pty Ltd of Coleshill U.K. donated $76,000 to the Liberal Party of Australia and Impellam Group PLC of Luton U.K. has a little over $12,000 listed under "Other" by the party.

The Sydney Small Business Club (The Warringah Club) - Tony Abbott’s support group – declared $14,000 in gross cash/non-cash benefits received.
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Associated entities submitting annual returns totalled 185.

Donors declaring numbered 787.

According to The Age on 3 January 2014; the Liberal Party's total revenue was $73.1 million last financial year, compared with $54.7 million for Labor. The Nationals further bolstered the Coalition's haul with $8.3 million. The Greens recorded $8.1 million in revenue.

The Sydney Morning Herald on 5 February 2014 reported; New Liberal MP Angus Taylor has been described as an asset to his party. News reports after his pre-selection for a country NSW seat in 2012 described the then candidate as ''smart'' and ''charming''. Financial disclosure documents reveal Mr Taylor is also an uncommonly valuable – perhaps uniquely valuable – financial asset to his party. The Liberal Party's annual dump of political revenue and donations, records a man named Angus Taylor, at an address in Sydney's Woollahra, who gave the Liberals $155,000 in five separate tranches in 2012-13. A call to Mr Taylor's office revealed the generous giver was the same man. The Woollahra address was an investment property, Mr Taylor said, adding that he had lived in his electorate, near Goulburn, and had been there for a long time. Mr Taylor, who won the safe Coalition seat of Hume at the September election by a margin of 11.5 per cent, concedes much of what he contributed to the party went towards his campaign including a car and petrol to get around the electorate, which is one of the largest in the country....

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