Palmer’s $200m splurge: top political spenders revealed

Major parties and special interest groups splashed out hundreds of millions of dollars on political parties and the federal election.

The biggest third-party spender was Clive Palmer’s Mineralogy, which pumped almost $53 million into May’s election.

The mining outfit spent almost $200 million on all its political campaigning in the 2024/25 financial year, according to Australian Electoral Commission data released on Monday.

Mr Palmer failed to elect any candidates for his Trumpet of Patriots party.

Federal Labor spent more than $71 million in the financial year, including on the election, while the federal Liberal Party spent almost $53 million.

The federal Nationals spent almost $5 million.

The Greens and its Victorian branch each spent more than $9 million across the year, while its NSW and Queensland contingents added more than $7 million in spending each.

Trumpet of Patriots splashed more than $53 million, dwarfing the spending of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation of more than $3.3 million.

Major parties are also propped up by state branches, which spent tens of millions of dollars more throughout the year.

The AEC data doesn’t separate major-party spending for the year and the election as it does for third parties.

Conservative advocacy outfit Advance Australia spent more than $10 million on the election and made $13.5 million in political payments.

The Australian Education Union distributed more than $125 million in the financial year and spent $5.5 million on the election.

Peak union body the Australian Council of Trade Unions spent almost $5.5 million at the election and distributed more than $34 million throughout the year.

Progressive funding vehicle Climate 200, which backs independent candidates, made almost $26 million in payments and almost $5 million in the federal election.

Labor secured a massive majority with 94 lower house seats, while the coalition slipped to 43.

The Greens were all but wiped out in the lower house, losing their leader and three of their four seats, but held onto the balance of power in the Senate.