The Centre for Public Integrity conducts detailed research into the undue influence of money in politics.

The weaknesses in Australia’s political donations and lobbying regulations are potentially allowing the buying of political influence. Large corporations had an undue influence on the 2019 federal election. Necessary reforms include transparent and timely disclosure of political donations, caps on political donations and campaign spending, expansion and enforcement of the lobbyist register, and stronger post-separation employment restrictions for parliamentarians and senior public officials.

You can read some of our latest research on donations below:

 

    Booming business for Big Four comes at a high cost

    May 22, 2023

    The Big Four consistently financially support both of Australia’s major political parties, though they prefer to donate to presumptive winners. The last ten years have seen a ballooning in Commonwealth contracts going to these firms to perform work previously done by the APS, and an increasingly active revolving door between these firms and the prominent positions in government and party administration.

    Closing the revolving door

    May 1, 2023

    For too long the Commonwealth’s lax regulation of lobbying has allowed a revolving door of former government representatives to wield their disproportionate influence on behalf of monied interests.

    Statement by former NSW ICAC Chief Commissioner the Hon Peter Hall KC on pork barrelling 17th March 2023

    March 17, 2023

    … existing legal mechanisms that are intended to protect the public interest have failed to prevent the occurrence of pork barrelling

    Hidden donations funded the federal election

    February 15, 2023

    Recently-released data from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) for the 2021/22 financial year reveal that $91,320,294 – or 22.74% – of political parties’ declared income over the period is of unexplained origin (‘hidden money’). This brings the total hidden money identified over the period 1998/99 – 20221/22 to $1.53 billion.

    A few loud voices

    January 31, 2023

    Australian political parties rely considerably on private donations to fund both their routine activities and meet the rising cost of electioneering, but not all donations are made equal. Some individual donations are just a few gold coins, whereas some large institutional donations extend well into the millions. While the former are a sign of healthy democratic engagement, the latter may expose our elected officials to an undue and disproportionate influence from a few loud voices, and thus threaten the integrity and quality of governmental decision making.

    A Farewell to Arms Part 2: Designing an effective Commonwealth expenditure cap regime

    October 22, 2022

    There are no limits on candidate, party, or third-party expenditure for Commonwealth elections. Expenditure caps make elections more fair, competitive, and open; they also direct our elected representatives’ focus to their constituencies and portfolios rather than to raise funds from donors with ulterior motives. Caps on third-party electoral expenditure, when designed appropriately, are an important way of preventing the undue and inordinate influence of monied interests on discourse and, ultimately, on public policy.

    A Farewell to Arms Part 1: The case for Commonwealth expenditure caps

    October 17, 2022

    Analysis of total payments disclosed by parties to the Australian Electoral Commission, with adjustments made for routine expenses and inflation, show that election year spending by Australian political parties increased 144% from approximately $124 million in 1998-99 to $302 million in 2018-19

    Submission to the Inquiry into the 2022 federal election

    October 3, 2022

    The Commonwealth’s political donations laws are the least stringent in the federation. Commonwealth electors have a right to know from whom donations are coming and how large they are. Donations laws should also be amended to limit the amount that can be donated to minimise the prospect of corruption.

    Seal the barrel: a new robust system for the administration of government grants

    April 1, 2022

    Since its establishment in 2018, the Morrison Government has awarded at least $55 billion of public money under Commonwealth grants programs.

    How to level the playing field

    April 1, 2022

    With electoral expenditure caps, limiting the incumbency benefit and supporting new candidates we can level the political playing field

    Members of the Money in Politics research committee are:

     

    • Michael Barker QC, former judge of the Federal Court of Australia
    • Anthony Whealy QC, former judge of the NSW Court of Appeal
    • Professor Joo Cheong Tham, University of Melbourne Law School
    • Tim Storer, former independent Senator for South Australia