Australia moves to cap political donations after billionaire spending scandals

Investigations have revealed that mining billionaire Gina Rinehart and associates contributed over AU$3 million to One Nation, including cash and an aircraft, and that Clive Palmer spent upwards of AU$260 million on recent federal elections. Under existing Australian law, such contributions are legal because donation caps are absent and disclosure thresholds are high. A reform package approved in early 2025 will, for the first time, limit party and lobby group electioneering spending and set a AU$50,000 ceiling on donations to a single political entity, effectively allowing up to AU$1.6 million across party divisions.

The spending cap will be AU$90 million per one outlet party, with AU$800,000 limits for marginal seats, while lobby groups will face an AU$11.25 million cap. Critics, including the Greens, argue the limits remain too generous and may still favor established parties over independents. The reforms also raise public funding per vote to AU$5-10 and introduce administrative subsidies based on parliamentary representation. Implementation is delayed until next year to allow the electoral commission to upgrade its disclosure systems.