Gina Rinehart's Mining Giant Donates Millions to Right-Wing Campaign Group Ahead of Federal Election.
A significant amount of money was donated by Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting to the right-wing campaign group Advance in the 2024-25 financial year. The company contributed almost $900,000 to the outfit, making it one of the largest single donors to the group.
Advance is a third-party organisation that campaigns against climate change policies and immigration reform, among other issues. Its executive director, Matthew Sheahan, said the donations were from 15,758 individual donors, with most giving less than $150.
Meanwhile, billionaire Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots received more than $53 million in donations, making it the largest single donor to any campaign group in the period. Palmer also donated to his own party, United Australia, but did not secure any seats at the election.
The data shows that the 2025 federal election was one of the most expensive elections on record, with the two major parties spending nearly $215 million combined. Labor spent significantly less, at just over $160 million, but still managed to win the election.
Some notable donors to Labor included billionaire Anthony Pratt's company Pratt Holdings and Kerry Stokes' private investment firm Australian Capital Equity. On the other hand, billionaires Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes of Atlassian both donated significant amounts to the Greens.
The changes to political donation rules due to come into effect in time for the next election are set to significantly impact the way donations are made and disclosed.
A significant amount of money was donated by Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting to the right-wing campaign group Advance in the 2024-25 financial year. The company contributed almost $900,000 to the outfit, making it one of the largest single donors to the group.
Advance is a third-party organisation that campaigns against climate change policies and immigration reform, among other issues. Its executive director, Matthew Sheahan, said the donations were from 15,758 individual donors, with most giving less than $150.
Meanwhile, billionaire Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots received more than $53 million in donations, making it the largest single donor to any campaign group in the period. Palmer also donated to his own party, United Australia, but did not secure any seats at the election.
The data shows that the 2025 federal election was one of the most expensive elections on record, with the two major parties spending nearly $215 million combined. Labor spent significantly less, at just over $160 million, but still managed to win the election.
Some notable donors to Labor included billionaire Anthony Pratt's company Pratt Holdings and Kerry Stokes' private investment firm Australian Capital Equity. On the other hand, billionaires Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes of Atlassian both donated significant amounts to the Greens.
The changes to political donation rules due to come into effect in time for the next election are set to significantly impact the way donations are made and disclosed.
But at the same time, I think it's awesome that people with means are willing to contribute to the system 
You've got billionaire after billionaire chipping in cash, which just goes to show that money isn't everything – even if it does have a huge impact 
And let's be real, some of these groups might be a bit out there, but hey, it's all about finding your tribe and making your voice heard 
and it's not just gina rinehart either apparently clive palmer's trumpet of patriots got like 53 million from individual donors which is wild 
meanwhile labor only spent like a fraction of what the major parties did and they still won lol so i guess you could say that money isn't everything but it's definitely plays a big role 
. It seems like billionaires are having a major impact on politics, especially with their huge donations to various campaign groups. I mean, $53 million to Trumpet of Patriots? That's insane! 
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It's like, shouldn't we be focusing on what's best for Australia as a whole, not just the interests of a select few?
. don't get me wrong, i'm all for free speech, but shouldn't people be able to make their own opinions without being influenced by a giant donation?
. and what about the others who aren't as wealthy? do they get left out of the conversation? 
I'm all for free speech and right to expression, but shouldn't politicians represent everyone's interests, not just their own donors? 
. It's like, shouldn't we be focusing on what's best for the country as a whole, not just who can spend the most money? I mean, Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting is basically just pouring millions into some right-wing group that's all about opposing climate change and immigration reform... it's like they're trying to undermine the very progress we need to make in Australia 
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. But overall, I think it's time for Australia to have a more level playing field when it comes to politics and money 
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But on a bigger scale, I worry about the disproportionate impact it has on smaller parties or even just individual candidates who might not have the same resources. It feels like you're either playing with giants or getting squished 
. We need more people with deep pockets supporting causes that actually matter.
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. And hey, at least the Greens got some love from those Atlassian dudes - that's some good karma 
. I'm not gonna lie, though, these changes to donation rules can only be a good thing - less secret cash and more transparency all around 
. The new rules on donations are gonna be interesting to see how that all plays out 
and meanwhile Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots got $53 million from 15k individual donors who probably didn't even know what they were donating to... it's just wild how much money is being thrown around in politics these days 
Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes of Atlassian are like total geniuses for realizing that donating to them would be a great way to influence policy on climate change and tech issues... meanwhile Labor is over here with their $160 million, which is still a lot less than the two major parties combined 
? Anyway, these new rules about disclosing donations are definitely overdue, and I hope they'll help prevent things like this from happening in the future 
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