Influential donors with deep pockets are having an effect on Australian politics as a report finds election spending has reached record highs.
Analysis by the Centre for Public Integrity, an independent think tank, found election spending had increased by almost 85 percent in the past two decades.
In 2022, spending reached a record high of nearly $440 million (US$302.4 million) and the top five individual donors contributed 70 percent of all donations.
The centre is calling for donation and spending caps to reduce the political influence of big spenders.
Unlike in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and Queensland, there is no cap on Commonwealth political donations….