The Australian Electoral Commission’s latest political finance figures show how closely entwined are government and the development industry

THE RELEASE of the Australian Electoral Commission’s latest political donations data provoked the usual rush to unearth hidden scandals. Clive Palmer’s $5 million donation to his own party – which incidentally tipped his nickel mining company into administration – was the hot favourite, and that story certainly does tell us something about Australian politics at the moment. The super-rich do have grossly disproportionate influence over our governments, whether it’s publicly, like Palmer, or behind the scenes, via quiet (and often invisible) donations. Individual tycoons and magnates can and do tip the balance when they get involved in politics.

But this is just the colour and movement in the AEC’s data, the melodrama that plays out in the foreground. In the background lurks a deeper story, one that tells us a whole lot more about how our political system functions. That’s the story told by the predictable donations, the routine donations, the donations so familiar we hardly notice them any more…

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