Billionaires pour money into political parties, donations data reveals

Billionaires and big companies poured cash into political parties last year in a boost led by mining magnate Clive Palmer, who dominated campaign finance by giving $117 million to his own party to secure a single seat in the Senate at the last election.

• David Crowe and Paul Sakkal
• The Age

Palmer’s spending on the United Australia Party surpassed the donations made to each of the major political parties in the election year, intensifying a debate over caps on donations ahead of government reforms to campaign finance law expected this year.

Corporate donors appeared to have increased their support for Labor ahead of last year’s election, taking the party’s total receipts to $124.2 million – a…

• Billionaires pour money…