The Australian Democrats need funding to contest elections and build a sustainable presence in Parliament. How we raise and use that funding matters, and it is our policy for capping donations and adherence to transparency around donations that provides our greatest challenge.
Our approach
We only accept donations from individuals, companies, and organisations whose activities align with our values.
We are clear with all donors that our decisions are evidence-led. Donations do not influence our policies, our positions, or our votes.
We prioritise support from individuals, members and our broader community.
We will publish cumulative donations over $1,500 for each financial year on our website.
This policy will be publicly available and easy to find.
How political donations currently work
All political parties need funding to operate and contest elections. The cost of nominating candidates alone is significant. To nominate candidates across all House of Representatives and Senate seats costs more than $300,000, before any campaign activity begins.
Campaign spending has grown substantially, and a large proportion of funding comes from major donors with vested interests in government decisions.
Current disclosure laws also limit transparency. Donations below the disclosure threshold are not visible to the public, and the timing of reporting means many donations are not disclosed until after elections. Major parties are obviously happy with this structure as it continues to benefit them.
Public funding is also provided based on electoral performance. While this supports participation, thresholds such as the 4% requirement create real barriers for smaller and emerging parties. Without parliamentary representation for as long as we have been, and funded only by our volunteers, we are really at a disadvantage currently.
What we will continue to advocate for
We will continue our longstanding advocacy for:
- caps on political donations and campaign spending
- faster and lower-threshold disclosure of donations
- a more level playing field for emerging and smaller parties
Our role
We believe in the importance of a strong, independent Senate that scrutinises legislation and brings community voices into the process through open inquiries and public participation.
That role matters. It strengthens transparency, improves decision-making, and helps ensure that policy is shaped by evidence and the public interest. It makes perfect sense to us that to be genuinely impartial, we should uphold our standards on political donations, and when back in the parliament fight for a more even playing field, and the catch 22 is that we need funding to be able to do that.
Be part of it
If you want to see the Australian Democrats rebuild as a constructive, independent voice in the Senate, your support makes a real difference.
Donations help us show up, compete, and contribute in a way that is practical, transparent and focused on what works. Please consider doing what you can, no matter how small, to help us keep 'em honest!