KEY POINTS:
- United Australia Party spent more than $120 million in 2021-22.
- Figures outstrips spending even by major parties.
- Climate 200 spent $13 million to help drive teals to victory.
Clive Palmer's United Australia Party (UAP) spent more than $120 million to secure just one seat in parliament, despite a surge in support for minor parties and independents at the 2022 federal election.
And a company owned by Australia's third-richest person, Anthony Pratt, donated $1.5 million to the Labor Party within 24 hours of its election victory.
The Australia Electoral Commission has released its annual disclosures for 2021-22, also showing Climate 200 spent $13 million to help drive a number of teal independents over the line in Liberal-held seats.
The disclosure log is an annual snapshot of how money pours into politics, but excludes any donation under $14,500.
Relying on more than $117 million pumped in directly from Mr Palmer's company, including individual donations of $50 million and $30 million, the UAP spent more in a single year than any political party in Australian history.
Its $123.5 million splurge outstripped both of Australia's major parties - the Labor Party spent $113.6 million, and the Liberal Party $100.5 million - and dwarfed that of minor parties which performed significantly more strongly.
The Greens spent around $1.7 million per seat as they produced their best ever result. Source: AAP / JONO SEARLE/AAPIMAGE
, though its sole parliamentary member, Senator Ralph Babet, insists it will be revived before the next election.
By contrast, after spending $27 million, meaning each seat cost the party roughly $1.7 million.
Pauline Hanson's One Nation also won two upper house seats cost a similar amount, the party reporting $3.4 million in total payments over the year.
Third-party funding
Climate 200, which backed a number of successful teal independents who toppled incumbent Liberal MPs, spent just under $13 million ahead of the campaign.
The organisation, run by Simon Holmes a Court, was a major player in races traditionally blue-ribbon seats, which saw then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg headline a group of Liberal moderates booted from parliament.
David Pocock was a major beneficiary of Climate 200's spending. Source: AAP / MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE
The former Wallabies captain, who spent nearly $1.8 million to oust long-term Liberal incumbent Zed Seselja, now wields a significant vote over legislation in the Senate.
Pratt Holdings, owned by Australia's third-richest person Anthony Pratt, donated $1.5 million to the Labor Party the day after the election.
The donation, its largest over the year, meant the company's overall spending was split equally between the major parties in 2021-22.
That's a significant turnaround from the prior year when it donated $1.3 million to the Coalition and just $10,000 to Labor.
Tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris, which launched multiple lawsuits against the former Labor government's plain packaging laws, donated a total of $110,000, split evenly between the Nationals and the Liberal Democratic Party.
