This e-brief discusses current restrictions on political donations in NSW and other Australian jurisdictions in the light of recent media reports on donations from foreign and foreign-linked donors.

Declared donations and payments to Australian political parties are about to top $1 billion, a new analysis of data shows. But the true figure could be triple that because donations under $13,200 do not have to be declared. The current funding and disclosure scheme has been in place since the 1984 election, but the electoral...

Overview Trust in political parties has never been lower, but we have more and more of them, to the point where voters need magnifying sheets to read ballot papers. What is the relationship between party regulation and the nature of our democracy? How is it that parties have been able to gather so many public...

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Spicer investigation has exposed prohibited donations, fund channelling and non-disclosures in the NSW Liberal Party’s 2011 state election campaign.

Between 2010 and 2015 the Liberal Party of Australia and the Queensland Liberal National Party accepted over two million dollars in political donations from mining companies seeking approval for six highly controversial mining projects in Queensland.