<
https://theconversation.com/new-data-show-where-the-parties-got-their-money-from-in-the-lead-up-to-the-2025-election-274739>
"Australia’s political parties set new records in funds raised and spent in the
lead-up to the 2025 federal election. Now, nine months later, Australians
finally get a look at who funded the parties’ election campaigns.
Data released today reveal that big money matters in Australian elections, and
political donations remain highly concentrated among a small number of powerful
individuals and interest groups."
Via Muse, who wrote: "Australia has a multiparty system, but two parties
dominate: Labor and Liberal (right-wing). The Libs get significant campaign
contributions from industry, in particular mining. Labor gets significant
donations from unions, in particular mining unions. This national division of
Australia has been the case since I moved here over thirty years ago.
This means people who are not part of mining industries, or large companies in
general, tend to get little representation in parliament. In 2010 it was shown
how much of a difference advertising money makes as to who wins office when big
mining decided to oust the Labor government over mining taxes. Parties will
work primarily to please their paying constituents as a tactic for gaining
power. A Labor government is a terrible opposition to one representing big
business. Why? Because they need big business in order to have big unions in
order to get the donations they need to get into power. They will work to keep
mining corporations and the like rolling. So what about small businesses,
medium businesses, schools, arts, independent farmers, etc, etc? Who cares?
Australia is unlikely to ever have an authoritarian take-over like in the US.
But it could dissolve into a civil war. When events like the Bondi Beach
shooting start occurring on a regular basis, that’s guerilla warfare in the
simmering beginnings of something much worse."
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
