Donations from the fossil fuel industry to Australia’s major political parties have more than doubled since 2015-16 – and that’s without including Clive Palmer’s $83.7 million donation to his own party.
The Australian Conservation Foundation’s analysis of the last four years of Australian Electoral Commission data shows the coal, oil and gas industry’s investment in influencing policy through political donations grew from $894,336 in 2015-16 to $1.9 million in 2018-19.
ACF’s report, Fossil fuel money distorting democracy, finds:
- Donations from the fossil fuel industry to the major parties have more than doubled in the last four years.
- Extractive industries are by far the largest donors from the coal, oil and gas sector, accounting for more than half of the total donations to the major parties since 2015-16.
- There is a severe lack of transparency in Australia’s system of political donations, with more than $102 million of declared donations in the 2018-19 reporting period having no identifiable source.
“The last four years of political donations data shows the extent of the coal, oil and gas sector’s attempts to buy political power in Australia,” said ACF’s Democracy Campaigner Jolene Elberth.
“As more Australians demand action on climate change and the pressure builds on politicians to take the problem seriously, the fossil fuel industry is doubling down by spending more money to influence public policy.
“Serious donations reform is needed to curb the power of big money in politics which harms our natural world and drives more climate damage.”
