WA Labor leads donation race

WA Labor raised more than $6.7 million last financial year across the board, almost $2 million more than the Liberal Party’s state division.

Political party disclosure details released by the Western Australian Electoral Commission have lifted the lid on political fundraising in the state, highlighting the return discrepancy between the governing party and its traditional political rival last financial year.

WA Labor reported receipts of $5.1 million across donations and ‘other receipts’ – a category that can include tickets to fundraising events and other incentives – in 2022-23, along with almost $1.6 million paid to its Labor Business Roundtable event series.

That placed it ahead of the Liberal Party of WA, which disclosed a return of almost $4 million, along with $380,000 through the Charles Court Foundation and The 500 Club.

WA Labor’s disclosure of contributions above $15,200 included a range of unions, big four consulting firms PwC, EY and Deloitte, and major recruiter Programmed.

EY’s $26,120 contribution to the party was listed as a donation, while PwC and Deloitte’s contributions fell into the other receipt category.

Nigel Satterley’s Satterley Property Group donated $27,680 to the party last financial year.

Other receipts reported in a separate document filed for Perth Trades Hall – the entity which runs Labor Business Roundtable Events – included $27,500 payments from gambling lobby group Responsible Wagering Australia, PwC, Programmed and resources development company Develop Global.

The Chamber of Minerals and Energy made an ‘other receipt’ payment of $16,500 to Perth Trades Hall.

The Liberal Party WA reported other contributions worth $27,500 from the CME, Perth Airports, defence firm Austal, DFD Rhodes and Northern Star.

All were listed in the other receipts category.

The reported figures offer insight into the make-up of the political donation landscape in WA, but only scratch the surface of the overall donations received by the political parties.

In WA Labor’s case, less than $1.2 million of the $5.1 million was accounted for in the disclosure documents.

The Liberal Party’s record accounted for $1.5 million of the $3.9 million received in the year.

Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti defended the political party’s Labor Business Roundtable events today, and pointed to the state’s recently introduced electoral reform targeting donation disclosure laws.

“Every major political party has fundraisers, whatever they call their fundraiser is different, [as is] whether they use third parties,” she said.

“What you’ve seen in other states and around the world is that there are different mechanisms that people may use in relation to fundraising.

“What we have done is introduce the most transparent regime in Australia.”

The state recently passed new political donation disclosure laws requiring donations above $2,600 to be revealed within 48 hours during state election campaigns, ahead of the 2025 state ballot.

The limit at which the law would apply was changed from the originally announced $1,000 during parliamentary debate late in 2023.

The rules will also bar WA parties from meeting their disclosure laws by reporting under Commonwealth laws, which have higher disclosure thresholds.

The current round of political donation disclosures was not subject to the rules outlined in the new legislation.