[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_inset=”0px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_inset=”0px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ _label=”Intro Part 2″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” _label=”Classic Row 5″ style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ _label=”Classic Row 5″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]
February 2020
Every year, Australian governments and their departments spend billions of dollars of your money so that more coal, gas and oil can be extracted and burned. Favourable decisions include:
- tax-based subsidies
- direct contributions
- concessional loans from public financial institutions
- lax environmental laws and approvals for disastrous projects.
Meanwhile, drought and extreme temperatures are fast becoming the new normal.
So how has the fossil fuel industry come to enjoy such a cosy relationship with our politicians? A trawl of the latest political donations data, released on 3 February, offers some clues.
[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://www.marketforces.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/political-donations-2020-graphic.png” alt=”political donations 2020 top 10″ link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” _label=”Classic Row 3″ style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h2″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”false”]Fossil fuel donations up 48%[/x_custom_headline][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]
In 2018-19, fossil fuel companies donated $1,897,379 to the ALP, Liberal and National parties. This was up 48% from $1,277,933 in 2017-18 ($968,343 in 2016-17, $1.03 million in 2015-16).
Yet given Australia’s reputation for woefully inadequate political disclosure and ‘dark money’ donations, the true figure could be 5-10 times higher. Like last year, we found big discrepancies between what the major political parties disclosed, and how much the fossil fuel companies claimed to have gifted.
Leading the pack in 2018-19 with $283,340 worth of largesse was Woodside Energy, followed by Adani with $247,300 and Mineral Resources with $167,000.
[/cs_text][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]
Check out the table below to see how much the other top 10 fossil fuel donors splurged, and explore the full list of industry donations further down.
[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text][/cs_text][x_button size=”global” block=”true” circle=”true” icon_only=”false” href=”https://www.marketforces.org.au/get-involved/rg/?other=0″ title=”” target=”blank” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””]Donate[/x_button][x_share title=”Share this Post” share_title=”” facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”false” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”false” reddit=”true” email=”true” email_subject=”Hey, thought you might enjoy this! Check it out when you have a chance:”][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”false”]Top 10 fossil fuel donors 2018-19[/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” _label=”New Item 2″ style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text style=”background-color:#433244;”]
| Company | ALP | LIB | NAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodside | $135,400 | $136,750 | $11,190 | $283,340 |
| Adani | $0 | $125,500 | $121,800 | $247,300 |
| Mineral Resources | $62,000 | $85,000 | $20,000 | $167,000 |
| APPEA | $77,467 | $60,262 | $23,930 | $161,659 |
| Minerals Council of Australia | $83,996 | $62,250 | $9,194 | $155,440 |
| Santos | $72,570 | $40,654 | $38,200 | $151,424 |
| Chevron | $54,600 | $53,125 | $16,960 | $124,685 |
| Origin Energy | $53,010 | $32,390 | $17,775 | $103,175 |
| Alinta Energy | $57,000 | $20,000 | $25,000 | $102,000 |
| The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust | $52,620 | $27,500 | $16,500 | $96,620 |
[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_inset=”0px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_inset=”0px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ _label=”Section 8″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_accordion class=”accordionDarkPurple”][x_accordion_item title=”See how this compares with the top 10 fossil fuel donors in 2017-18″ open=”false” style=”background:#433244″]
| Company | ALP | LIB | NAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodside | $117,700 | $118,500 | $1,100 | $237,300 |
| Santos | $85,610 | $71,973 | $24,500 | $182,083 |
| Chevron Australia | $59,000 | $51,219 | $11,660 | $121,879 |
| Alinta Energy | $68,500 | $25,000 | $25,250 | $118,750 |
| Origin Energy | $54,500 | $39,670 | $16,425 | $110,595 |
| Caltex | $44,138 | $52,769 | $0 | $96,907 |
| Minerals Council of Australia | $41,200 | $43,250 | $10,450 | $94,900 |
| Cartwheel Resources | $0 | $52,864 | $0 | $52,864 |
| Senex Energy | $36,500 | $15,400 | $0 | $51,900 |
| The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust | $0 | $50,000 | $0 | $50,000 |
[/x_accordion_item][/x_accordion][cs_element_content_area _id=”28″ ][x_custom_headline level=”h4″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”false”]What about the rest?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]
The table below lists donations made by fossil fuel companies to major Australian political parties in the 2018-19 financial year. What we found astonishing was not just the scale of donations, but the discrepancies between what donors and parties actually reported. The total discrepancy in reporting came to $834,279!
[/cs_text][x_accordion class=”accordionDarkPurple”][x_accordion_item title=”Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2018-19″ open=”true”]
| Party | Donor | Donations disclosed by party | Donations disclosed by company |
|
ALP
|
Alinta Servco Pty Ltd | $34,500 | $57,000 |
| APA Group | $15,700 | $15,975 | |
| Australia Pacific LNG | $3,960 | NA | |
| APPEA | $70,800 | $77,467 | |
| Buru Energy | $1,200 | NA | |
| Caltex Australia Ltd | $8,100 | $14,200 | |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | $18,600 | $54,600 | |
| Liberty Oil Corporation Pty Ltd | $5,500 | NA | |
| Mineral Resources | $62,000 | $50,000 | |
| Minerals Council of Australia | $45,750 | $83,996 | |
| Northern Oil & Gas Australia Pty Ltd | $19,250 | NA | |
| Origin Energy | $40,500 | $53,010 | |
| Port of Newcastle | $37,000 | $51,000 | |
| QER | $12,700 | NA | |
| Queensland Resources Council | $12,870 | NA | |
| Santos | $72,570 | $69,500 | |
| Senex Energy | $11,000 | NA | |
| South32 | $7,500 | NA | |
| Southern Oil Refining | $19,975 | NA | |
| The Chamber of Minerals & Energy of WA | $43,500 | NA | |
| The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust | $52,620 | $40,450 | |
| Woodside Energy | $120,000 | $135,400 | |
| TOTAL | $715,595 | $702,598 | |
|
LIB
|
Adani | $100,000 | $125,500 |
| Alinta Servco Pty Ltd | NA | $20,000 | |
| APPEA | NA | $60,262 | |
| Australian Pipelines & Gas Association | $27,500 | NA | |
| Caltex Australia Limited | NA | $14,606 | |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | NA | $53,125 | |
| Mineral Resources | $50,000 | $85,000 | |
| Minerals Council of Australia | $62,250 | $53,540 | |
| Origin Energy | NA | $32,390 | |
| Santos | $27,500 | $40,654 | |
| The Chamber of Minerals & Energy of WA | $25,000 | NA | |
| The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust | $27,500 | $17,500 | |
| Whitehaven Coal Limited | NA | $17,500 | |
| Woodside Energy | $110,000 | $136,750 | |
| TOTAL | $429,750 | $656,827 | |
|
NAT
|
Adani | $100,000 | $121,800 |
| Alinta Servco Pty Ltd | NA | $25,000 | |
| APPEA | $17,160 | $23,930 | |
| Caltex Australia Limited | NA | $1,500 | |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | NA | $16,960 | |
| Mineral Resources | $20,000 | $20,000 | |
| Minerals Council of Australia | NA | $9,194 | |
| Origin Energy | NA | $17,775 | |
| Santos | NA | $38,200 | |
| The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust | $16,500 | $16,500 | |
| Woodside Energy | NA | $11,190 | |
| TOTAL | $153,660 | $302,049 | |
| TOTAL FOSSIL FUELS | $1,299,005 | $1,661,474 |
[/x_accordion_item][/x_accordion][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_inset=”0px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_inset=”0px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ _label=”Money well spent and Chevron” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” _label=”Classic Row 1″ style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h4″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”false”]Adani’s donations timed around approvals[/x_custom_headline][cs_text _order=”0″ class=”cs-ta-justify”]
In a critical year for its climate-wrecking Carmichael coal project, Adani rocketed up the ladder to become the second-biggest fossil fuel donor in Australia, with some major donations to both the Liberal and National parties.
According to the Australian Conservation Foundation, a donation of $12,500 was made to the Liberal Party just a few days before the Federal Government ignored the concerns of scientists and rushed through approval of Adani’s groundwater management plan. The next month, on the eve of the Federal election being called, Adani donated another $200k to the Liberal and National parties.
Meanwhile, in February Adani was fined just $20,000 for providing the Queensland Government false and misleading information about their land clearing.
[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_element_image _id=”40″ ][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h4″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”false”]Mineral Resources[/x_custom_headline][cs_text]
Mineral Resources has predominantly been an iron-ore miner and mining services company. But since the company’s November 2017 acquisition of company ‘Energy Resources’, it now holds nine exploration permits for substantial oil and gas projects in the onshore Perth Basin, and has become the third largest fossil fuel donor to the ALP, Liberal and National parties ($167,000).
Mineral Resources is also reportedly the leading donor from the mining sector to political parties in Western Australia. The same report also noted that ‘in 2018-19, the oil and gas sector had huge projects in front of various government agencies and lobbied hard for the WA government to tame the WA Environmental Protection Authority after its surprise zero-carbon emission guideline announcement.
[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_inset=”0px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_inset=”0px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ _label=”Party vs Donor Disclosures” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h4″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”false”]Why is donations disclosure such a mess?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify” style=”margin-top:15px;”]
The discrepancies in donations reported by donors and parties is the tip of the iceberg. Australia’s political disclosure laws are incredibly lax, so much so that in 2018 they were the subject of a Senate inquiry and a damning report by the Grattan Institute. The Centre for Public Integrity estimates that more than $100 million in donations were not disclosed in 2018-19, with the Liberal and National parties hiding about 40% of income and Labor hiding about 28% over two decades. The consequences of our pathetic legislation are many:
- Delayed reporting: learning about donations up to 18 months after they’re made
- Party and donor returns not reconciling
- Lack of standardisation of donor names
- Donations hidden in associated entities
- Donors can ‘split’ donations into small amounts that parties don’t have to disclose
All this adds to the ever-growing distrust that Australians have in our political system. It must be asked whether companies are making donations for access to politicians or to influence policy outcomes?
[/cs_text][x_blockquote cite=”Pezzey, Mazouz & Jotzo, 2010″ type=”left”]”Small groups of carbon-intensive firms, who would inevitably suffer most under a sound, national-interest policy proposal, were able to lobby much more powerfully than large groups like taxpayers or consumers, and arguably changed the proposal into something which better protects their special interests.”[/x_blockquote][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_inset=”0px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_inset=”0px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ _label=”Full Lists” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h4″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”false”]How do the numbers compare to previous years?[/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” _label=”New Item 2″ style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]
The tables below contain all donations we were able to compile for the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 financial years. If you know of other donation sources, please send us an email at [email protected]
[/cs_text][x_accordion class=”accordionDarkPurple”][x_accordion_item title=”Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2017-18″ open=”false”]
| Party | Donor | Donations disclosed by party | Donations disclosed by company |
|
ALP
|
Alinta Servco Pty Ltd | $3,000 | $68,500 |
| APA Group | $3,850 | NA | |
| APPEA | $25,075 | NA | |
| Aurizon | $11,000 | NA | |
| Australian Drilling Industry Association | $1,350 | NA | |
| Brian Flannery | $2,000 | NA | |
| Caltex Australia Limited | $19,800 | $44,138 | |
| Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia | $13,500 | NA | |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | $34,550 | $59,000 | |
| Energy Developments Pty Ltd | $5,480 | NA | |
| Mineral Resources Limited | $3,000 | NA | |
| Minerals Council of Australia | $40,500 | $41,200 | |
| Origin Energy | $38,500 | $54,500 | |
| Qld Resources Council | $5,500 | NA | |
| Santos | $77,260 | $85,610 | |
| Senex Energy | $36,500 | $20,000 | |
| Woodside Energy | $110,000 | $117,700 | |
| TOTAL | $430,865 | $490,671 | |
|
LIB
|
Adani Mining Pty Ltd | NA | $35,000 |
| Alinta Servco Pty Ltd | NA | $25,000 | |
| Brian Flannery | $20,000 | $20,000 | |
| Caltex Australia Limited | $27,500 | $52,769 | |
| Cartwheel Resources | $36,000 | $52,864 | |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | NA | $51,219 | |
| Minerals Council of Australia | $27,500 | $43,250 | |
| Origin Energy | $27,500 | $39,670 | |
| Santos | $42,500 | $71,973 | |
| Senex Energy | $15,400 | $15,400 | |
| The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| Whitehaven Coal Limited | $25,000 | $35,000 | |
| Woodside Energy | $118,500 | $8,500 | |
| TOTAL | $381,400 | $610,645 | |
|
NAT
|
Alinta Servco Pty Ltd | NA | $25,250 |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | NA | $11,660 | |
| Minerals Council of Australia | NA | $10,450 | |
| Origin Energy | NA | $16,425 | |
| Santos | NA | $24,500 | |
| Woodside Energy | NA | $1,100 | |
| TOTAL | $0 | $89,385 | |
| TOTAL FOSSIL FUELS | $812,265 | $1,190,678 |
[/x_accordion_item][/x_accordion][x_accordion class=”accordionSunsetPurple”][x_accordion_item title=”Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2016-17″ open=”false”]
Malcolm Turnbull’s personal donation of $1.75 million during the 2016 Federal election may have grabbed all the headlines, but the ongoing contributions to political parties by Australia’s largest fossil fuel companies may explain why our climate policies are so appallingly weak.
Fossil fuel companies donated $968,343 to the ALP, Liberal and National parties in 2016-17, which was slightly down from the $1.03m donated in 2015-16 and $1.94m in 2014-15 (which was also a Federal election year). Woodside Energy once again led the pack with $279,800, followed by Wesfarmers with $198,000 and Origin Energy with $102,174.
| Party | Donor | Donations disclosed by party | Donations disclosed by company |
|
ALP
|
Adani Mining Pty Ltd | 2,200 | NA |
| APA Group | 1,100 | NA | |
| APPEA | 12,350 | NA | |
| Asciano | 22,000 | NA | |
| Aurizon Operations Limited | 11,000 | 22,320 | |
| Caltex Australia Limited | 12,500 | 20,912 | |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | 21,500 | 45,208 | |
| Energy Developments Limited | 6,600 | 5,000 | |
| Minerals Council of Australia | NA | 6,700 | |
| Northern Oil | 3,850 | NA | |
| Origin Energy | 40,260 | 55,710 | |
| Qld Resources Council | 5,500 | NA | |
| Santos Limited | 29,260 | 35,321 | |
| South32 | 2,500 | NA | |
| St Baker Energy Innovation Fund | 2,200 | NA | |
| Sunset Power International Pty Ltd | 3,500 | NA | |
| The Chamber of Minerals & Energy of WA | 2,000 | NA | |
| Wesfarmers Limited | 33,000 | NA | |
| Woodside Energy | 110,000 | 135,500 | |
| TOTAL | 321,320 | 326,671 | |
|
LIB
|
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | NA | 25,210 |
| Energy Developments Pty Ltd | NA | 318 | |
| Minerals Council of Australia | NA | 31,945 | |
| Origin Energy | NA | 33,539 | |
| Santos Limited | NA | 35,725 | |
| Wesfarmers Limited | 150,000 | 165,000 | |
| Whitehaven Coal Limited | NA | 30,000 | |
| Woodside Energy Limited | 110,000 | 127,700 | |
| TOTAL | 260,000 | 449,437 | |
|
NAT
|
Aurizon Holdings Ltd | NA | 6,600 |
| Caltex Australia Limited | NA | 5,130 | |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | NA | 11,810 | |
| Minerals Council of Australia | NA | 18,700 | |
| Origin Energy | NA | 12,925 | |
| Santos Limited | NA | 28,670 | |
| Woodside Energy Limited | NA | 16,600 | |
| TOTAL | NA | 100,435 | |
| TOTAL FOSSIL FUELS | 581,320 | 876,543 |
[/x_accordion_item][/x_accordion][x_accordion class=”accordionDarkPurple”][x_accordion_item title=”Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2015-16″ open=”false”]
| Company | Recipient | Party Disclosed | Donor Disclosed |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA Group | ALP | $10,492 | nil |
| Arrow Energy Limited | ALP | $1,200 | nil |
| Asciano Limited | ALP | $44,000 | nil |
| Aurizon Holdings Limited | ALP | $21,000 | $40,684 |
| Aurizon Holdings Limited | LIB | nil | $34,965 |
| Aurizon Holdings Limited | NAT | nil | $55,000 |
| Caltex Australia Limited | ALP | nil | $19,000 |
| Caltex Australia Limited | NAT | nil | $17,280 |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | ALP | $13,200 | $44,950 |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | LIB | nil | $53,365 |
| Chevron Australia Pty Ltd | NAT | nil | $19,910 |
| Energy Developments | ALP | $1,100 | nil |
| ERM Power | ALP | $1,200 | nil |
| Glencore Australia Holdings | ALP | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| Glencore Australia Holdings | LIB | $15,000 | $15,620 |
| Minerals Council of Australia | ALP | nil | $4,450 |
| Minerals Council of Australia | LIB | nil | $26,600 |
| Minerals Council of Australia | NAT | nil | $2,200 |
| Origin Energy | ALP | $11,000 | $22,508 |
| Origin Energy | LIB | nil | $19,755 |
| Origin Energy | NAT | nil | $440 |
| Peabody Energy Australia | ALP | $1,650 | nil |
| Queensland Resources Council | ALP | $5,500 | nil |
| Queensland Coal Investments Pty Ltd | NAT | $55,000 | $58,000 |
| Santos Limited | ALP | $38,710 | $62,627 |
| Santos Limited | LIB | $27,500 | $63,357 |
| Santos Limited | NAT | nil | $6,600 |
| Southern Oil Refining Pty Ltd | NAT | $14,000 | $21,000 |
| St Baker Enterprise Pty Ltd | LIB | $16,500 | nil |
| Wesfarmers Ltd | LIB | $35,000 | $35,000 |
| Whitehaven Coal | LIB | $22,000 | $22,000 |
| Woodside Energy Ltd | ALP | $123,200 | $123,500 |
| Woodside Energy Ltd | LIB | $125,000 | $126,980 |
On top of these company and lobby group donations, Kostas Constantinou, an Oil Search board member donated $50,000 to the Liberal party.[/x_accordion_item][/x_accordion][x_accordion class=”accordionSunsetPurple”][x_accordion_item title=”Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2014-15″ open=”false”]
| Company | Recipient | Party Disclosed | Donor Disclosed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adani Mining | ALP | $5500 | nil |
| AGL | ALP | $19,800 | $24,840 |
| AGL | NAT | nil | $2000 |
| AGL | LIB | nil | $11,200 |
| Alinta Energy | ALP | $6600 | nil |
| APA Group | ALP | $4433 | nil |
| APPEA | ALP | $18,755 | nil |
| Asciano | ALP | $44,000 | $64,000 |
| Aurizon | ALP | $25,514 | $8674 |
| Aurizon | LIB | nil | $18,260 |
| Australian Mines and Metals Association | ALP | $2000 | nil |
| Beach Energy | LIB | $55,000 | nil |
| Caltex Australia | NAT | nil | $1050 |
| Caltex Australia | LIB | nil | $23,705 |
| Caltex Australia | ALP | nil | $1650 |
| Chevron | NAT | $18,150 | $2330 |
| Chevron | ALP | $15,950 | $36,290 |
| Chevron | LIB | nil | $12,030 |
| Energy Developments | ALP | $4800 | $5900 |
| Energy Developments | LIB | $15,000 | $14,150 |
| Energy Supply Association of Australia | ALP | $8500 | nil |
| ERM Power | ALP | $4173 | nil |
| Glencore | ALP | $10,000 | nil |
| Hancock Coal | ALP | $22,000 | $22,000 |
| Hancock Prospecting | NAT | nil | $22,000 |
| Linc Energy | LIB | $25,000 | nil |
| Minerals Council of Australia | ALP | $10,000 | nil |
| Origin Energy | ALP | $49,950 | $70,380 |
| Origin Energy | NAT | nil | $5170 |
| Origin Energy | LIB | $49,950 | $57,730 |
| Qld Resources Council | ALP | $1200 | nil |
| Queensland Coal Investments | NAT | $22,000 | nil |
| Queensland Coal Investments | LIB | $16,500 | nil |
| Santos | ALP | $57,166 | $82,483 |
| Santos | NAT | nil | $23,320 |
| Santos | LIB | $27,500 | $62,939 |
| Woodside Energy | ALP | $112,600 | $111,100 |
| Woodside Energy | NAT | nil | $18,800 |
| Woodside Energy | LIB | $127,000 | $136,920 |
[/x_accordion_item][/x_accordion][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content][cs_content_seo]February 2020
Every year, Australian governments and their departments spend billions of dollars of your money so that more coal, gas and oil can be extracted and burned. Favourable decisions include:
tax-based subsidies
direct contributions
concessional loans from public financial institutions
lax environmental laws and approvals for disastrous projects.
Meanwhile, drought and extreme temperatures are fast becoming the new normal.
So how has the fossil fuel industry come to enjoy such a cosy relationship with our politicians? A trawl of the latest political donations data, released on 3 February, offers some clues.
Fossil fuel donations up 48%In 2018-19, fossil fuel companies donated $1,897,379 to the ALP, Liberal and National parties. This was up 48% from $1,277,933 in 2017-18 ($968,343 in 2016-17, $1.03 million in 2015-16).
Yet given Australia’s reputation for woefully inadequate political disclosure and ‘dark money’ donations, the true figure could be 5-10 times higher. Like last year, we found big discrepancies between what the major political parties disclosed, and how much the fossil fuel companies claimed to have gifted.
Leading the pack in 2018-19 with $283,340 worth of largesse was Woodside Energy, followed by Adani with $247,300 and Mineral Resources with $167,000.
Check out the table below to see how much the other top 10 fossil fuel donors splurged, and explore the full list of industry donations further down.
To help Market Forces keep producing research like this and calling out politicians and their fossil fuel paymasters, please consider becoming a regular supporter today.
DonateShare this PostTop 10 fossil fuel donors 2018-19
Company
ALP
LIB
NAT
Total
Woodside
$135,400
$136,750
$11,190
$283,340
Adani
$0
$125,500
$121,800
$247,300
Mineral Resources
$62,000
$85,000
$20,000
$167,000
APPEA
$77,467
$60,262
$23,930
$161,659
Minerals Council of Australia
$83,996
$62,250
$9,194
$155,440
Santos
$72,570
$40,654
$38,200
$151,424
Chevron
$54,600
$53,125
$16,960
$124,685
Origin Energy
$53,010
$32,390
$17,775
$103,175
Alinta Energy
$57,000
$20,000
$25,000
$102,000
The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust
$52,620
$27,500
$16,500
$96,620
See how this compares with the top 10 fossil fuel donors in 2017-18
Company
ALP
LIB
NAT
Total
Woodside
$117,700
$118,500
$1,100
$237,300
Santos
$85,610
$71,973
$24,500
$182,083
Chevron Australia
$59,000
$51,219
$11,660
$121,879
Alinta Energy
$68,500
$25,000
$25,250
$118,750
Origin Energy
$54,500
$39,670
$16,425
$110,595
Caltex
$44,138
$52,769
$0
$96,907
Minerals Council of Australia
$41,200
$43,250
$10,450
$94,900
Cartwheel Resources
$0
$52,864
$0
$52,864
Senex Energy
$36,500
$15,400
$0
$51,900
The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust
$0
$50,000
$0
$50,000
What about the rest?The table below lists donations made by fossil fuel companies to major Australian political parties in the 2018-19 financial year. What we found astonishing was not just the scale of donations, but the discrepancies between what donors and parties actually reported. The total discrepancy in reporting came to $834,279!
Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2018-19
Party
Donor
Donations disclosed by party
Donations disclosed by company
ALP
Alinta Servco Pty Ltd
$34,500
$57,000
APA Group
$15,700
$15,975
Australia Pacific LNG
$3,960
NA
APPEA
$70,800
$77,467
Buru Energy
$1,200
NA
Caltex Australia Ltd
$8,100
$14,200
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
$18,600
$54,600
Liberty Oil Corporation Pty Ltd
$5,500
NA
Mineral Resources
$62,000
$50,000
Minerals Council of Australia
$45,750
$83,996
Northern Oil & Gas Australia Pty Ltd
$19,250
NA
Origin Energy
$40,500
$53,010
Port of Newcastle
$37,000
$51,000
QER
$12,700
NA
Queensland Resources Council
$12,870
NA
Santos
$72,570
$69,500
Senex Energy
$11,000
NA
South32
$7,500
NA
Southern Oil Refining
$19,975
NA
The Chamber of Minerals & Energy of WA
$43,500
NA
The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust
$52,620
$40,450
Woodside Energy
$120,000
$135,400
TOTAL
$715,595
$702,598
LIB
Adani
$100,000
$125,500
Alinta Servco Pty Ltd
NA
$20,000
APPEA
NA
$60,262
Australian Pipelines & Gas Association
$27,500
NA
Caltex Australia Limited
NA
$14,606
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
NA
$53,125
Mineral Resources
$50,000
$85,000
Minerals Council of Australia
$62,250
$53,540
Origin Energy
NA
$32,390
Santos
$27,500
$40,654
The Chamber of Minerals & Energy of WA
$25,000
NA
The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust
$27,500
$17,500
Whitehaven Coal Limited
NA
$17,500
Woodside Energy
$110,000
$136,750
TOTAL
$429,750
$656,827
NAT
Adani
$100,000
$121,800
Alinta Servco Pty Ltd
NA
$25,000
APPEA
$17,160
$23,930
Caltex Australia Limited
NA
$1,500
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
NA
$16,960
Mineral Resources
$20,000
$20,000
Minerals Council of Australia
NA
$9,194
Origin Energy
NA
$17,775
Santos
NA
$38,200
The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust
$16,500
$16,500
Woodside Energy
NA
$11,190
TOTAL
$153,660
$302,049
TOTAL FOSSIL FUELS
$1,299,005
$1,661,474
Adani’s donations timed around approvalsIn a critical year for its climate-wrecking Carmichael coal project, Adani rocketed up the ladder to become the second-biggest fossil fuel donor in Australia, with some major donations to both the Liberal and National parties.
According to the Australian Conservation Foundation, a donation of $12,500 was made to the Liberal Party just a few days before the Federal Government ignored the concerns of scientists and rushed through approval of Adani’s groundwater management plan. The next month, on the eve of the Federal election being called, Adani donated another $200k to the Liberal and National parties.
Meanwhile, in February Adani was fined just $20,000 for providing the Queensland Government false and misleading information about their land clearing.
Mineral ResourcesMineral Resources has predominantly been an iron-ore miner and mining services company. But since the company’s November 2017 acquisition of company ‘Energy Resources’, it now holds nine exploration permits for substantial oil and gas projects in the onshore Perth Basin, and has become the third largest fossil fuel donor to the ALP, Liberal and National parties ($167,000).
Mineral Resources is also reportedly the leading donor from the mining sector to political parties in Western Australia. The same report also noted that ‘in 2018-19, the oil and gas sector had huge projects in front of various government agencies and lobbied hard for the WA government to tame the WA Environmental Protection Authority after its surprise zero-carbon emission guideline announcement.
Why is donations disclosure such a mess?The discrepancies in donations reported by donors and parties is the tip of the iceberg. Australia’s political disclosure laws are incredibly lax, so much so that in 2018 they were the subject of a Senate inquiry and a damning report by the Grattan Institute. The Centre for Public Integrity estimates that more than $100 million in donations were not disclosed in 2018-19, with the Liberal and National parties hiding about 40% of income and Labor hiding about 28% over two decades. The consequences of our pathetic legislation are many:
Delayed reporting: learning about donations up to 18 months after they’re made
Party and donor returns not reconciling
Lack of standardisation of donor names
Donations hidden in associated entities
Donors can ‘split’ donations into small amounts that parties don’t have to disclose
All this adds to the ever-growing distrust that Australians have in our political system. It must be asked whether companies are making donations for access to politicians or to influence policy outcomes?
“Small groups of carbon-intensive firms, who would inevitably suffer most under a sound, national-interest policy proposal, were able to lobby much more powerfully than large groups like taxpayers or consumers, and arguably changed the proposal into something which better protects their special interests.”Pezzey, Mazouz & Jotzo, 2010How do the numbers compare to previous years?The tables below contain all donations we were able to compile for the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 financial years. If you know of other donation sources, please send us an email at [email protected]
Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2017-18
Party
Donor
Donations disclosed by party
Donations disclosed by company
ALP
Alinta Servco Pty Ltd
$3,000
$68,500
APA Group
$3,850
NA
APPEA
$25,075
NA
Aurizon
$11,000
NA
Australian Drilling Industry Association
$1,350
NA
Brian Flannery
$2,000
NA
Caltex Australia Limited
$19,800
$44,138
Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia
$13,500
NA
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
$34,550
$59,000
Energy Developments Pty Ltd
$5,480
NA
Mineral Resources Limited
$3,000
NA
Minerals Council of Australia
$40,500
$41,200
Origin Energy
$38,500
$54,500
Qld Resources Council
$5,500
NA
Santos
$77,260
$85,610
Senex Energy
$36,500
$20,000
Woodside Energy
$110,000
$117,700
TOTAL
$430,865
$490,671
LIB
Adani Mining Pty Ltd
NA
$35,000
Alinta Servco Pty Ltd
NA
$25,000
Brian Flannery
$20,000
$20,000
Caltex Australia Limited
$27,500
$52,769
Cartwheel Resources
$36,000
$52,864
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
NA
$51,219
Minerals Council of Australia
$27,500
$43,250
Origin Energy
$27,500
$39,670
Santos
$42,500
$71,973
Senex Energy
$15,400
$15,400
The Trustee for St Baker Family Trust
$50,000
$50,000
Whitehaven Coal Limited
$25,000
$35,000
Woodside Energy
$118,500
$8,500
TOTAL
$381,400
$610,645
NAT
Alinta Servco Pty Ltd
NA
$25,250
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
NA
$11,660
Minerals Council of Australia
NA
$10,450
Origin Energy
NA
$16,425
Santos
NA
$24,500
Woodside Energy
NA
$1,100
TOTAL
$0
$89,385
TOTAL FOSSIL FUELS
$812,265
$1,190,678
Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2016-17Malcolm Turnbull’s personal donation of $1.75 million during the 2016 Federal election may have grabbed all the headlines, but the ongoing contributions to political parties by Australia’s largest fossil fuel companies may explain why our climate policies are so appallingly weak.
Fossil fuel companies donated $968,343 to the ALP, Liberal and National parties in 2016-17, which was slightly down from the $1.03m donated in 2015-16 and $1.94m in 2014-15 (which was also a Federal election year). Woodside Energy once again led the pack with $279,800, followed by Wesfarmers with $198,000 and Origin Energy with $102,174.
Party
Donor
Donations disclosed by party
Donations disclosed by company
ALP
Adani Mining Pty Ltd
2,200
NA
APA Group
1,100
NA
APPEA
12,350
NA
Asciano
22,000
NA
Aurizon Operations Limited
11,000
22,320
Caltex Australia Limited
12,500
20,912
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
21,500
45,208
Energy Developments Limited
6,600
5,000
Minerals Council of Australia
NA
6,700
Northern Oil
3,850
NA
Origin Energy
40,260
55,710
Qld Resources Council
5,500
NA
Santos Limited
29,260
35,321
South32
2,500
NA
St Baker Energy Innovation Fund
2,200
NA
Sunset Power International Pty Ltd
3,500
NA
The Chamber of Minerals & Energy of WA
2,000
NA
Wesfarmers Limited
33,000
NA
Woodside Energy
110,000
135,500
TOTAL
321,320
326,671
LIB
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
NA
25,210
Energy Developments Pty Ltd
NA
318
Minerals Council of Australia
NA
31,945
Origin Energy
NA
33,539
Santos Limited
NA
35,725
Wesfarmers Limited
150,000
165,000
Whitehaven Coal Limited
NA
30,000
Woodside Energy Limited
110,000
127,700
TOTAL
260,000
449,437
NAT
Aurizon Holdings Ltd
NA
6,600
Caltex Australia Limited
NA
5,130
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
NA
11,810
Minerals Council of Australia
NA
18,700
Origin Energy
NA
12,925
Santos Limited
NA
28,670
Woodside Energy Limited
NA
16,600
TOTAL
NA
100,435
TOTAL FOSSIL FUELS
581,320
876,543
Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2015-16
Company
Recipient
Party Disclosed
Donor Disclosed
APA Group
ALP
$10,492
nil
Arrow Energy Limited
ALP
$1,200
nil
Asciano Limited
ALP
$44,000
nil
Aurizon Holdings Limited
ALP
$21,000
$40,684
Aurizon Holdings Limited
LIB
nil
$34,965
Aurizon Holdings Limited
NAT
nil
$55,000
Caltex Australia Limited
ALP
nil
$19,000
Caltex Australia Limited
NAT
nil
$17,280
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
ALP
$13,200
$44,950
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
LIB
nil
$53,365
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
NAT
nil
$19,910
Energy Developments
ALP
$1,100
nil
ERM Power
ALP
$1,200
nil
Glencore Australia Holdings
ALP
$30,000
$30,000
Glencore Australia Holdings
LIB
$15,000
$15,620
Minerals Council of Australia
ALP
nil
$4,450
Minerals Council of Australia
LIB
nil
$26,600
Minerals Council of Australia
NAT
nil
$2,200
Origin Energy
ALP
$11,000
$22,508
Origin Energy
LIB
nil
$19,755
Origin Energy
NAT
nil
$440
Peabody Energy Australia
ALP
$1,650
nil
Queensland Resources Council
ALP
$5,500
nil
Queensland Coal Investments Pty Ltd
NAT
$55,000
$58,000
Santos Limited
ALP
$38,710
$62,627
Santos Limited
LIB
$27,500
$63,357
Santos Limited
NAT
nil
$6,600
Southern Oil Refining Pty Ltd
NAT
$14,000
$21,000
St Baker Enterprise Pty Ltd
LIB
$16,500
nil
Wesfarmers Ltd
LIB
$35,000
$35,000
Whitehaven Coal
LIB
$22,000
$22,000
Woodside Energy Ltd
ALP
$123,200
$123,500
Woodside Energy Ltd
LIB
$125,000
$126,980
On top of these company and lobby group donations, Kostas Constantinou, an Oil Search board member donated $50,000 to the Liberal party.Total donations by fossil fuel companies and lobby groups to political parties, 2014-15
Company
Recipient
Party Disclosed
Donor Disclosed
Adani Mining
ALP
$5500
nil
AGL
ALP
$19,800
$24,840
AGL
NAT
nil
$2000
AGL
LIB
nil
$11,200
Alinta Energy
ALP
$6600
nil
APA Group
ALP
$4433
nil
APPEA
ALP
$18,755
nil
Asciano
ALP
$44,000
$64,000
Aurizon
ALP
$25,514
$8674
Aurizon
LIB
nil
$18,260
Australian Mines and Metals Association
ALP
$2000
nil
Beach Energy
LIB
$55,000
nil
Caltex Australia
NAT
nil
$1050
Caltex Australia
LIB
nil
$23,705
Caltex Australia
ALP
nil
$1650
Chevron
NAT
$18,150
$2330
Chevron
ALP
$15,950
$36,290
Chevron
LIB
nil
$12,030
Energy Developments
ALP
$4800
$5900
Energy Developments
LIB
$15,000
$14,150
Energy Supply Association of Australia
ALP
$8500
nil
ERM Power
ALP
$4173
nil
Glencore
ALP
$10,000
nil
Hancock Coal
ALP
$22,000
$22,000
Hancock Prospecting
NAT
nil
$22,000
Linc Energy
LIB
$25,000
nil
Minerals Council of Australia
ALP
$10,000
nil
Origin Energy
ALP
$49,950
$70,380
Origin Energy
NAT
nil
$5170
Origin Energy
LIB
$49,950
$57,730
Qld Resources Council
ALP
$1200
nil
Queensland Coal Investments
NAT
$22,000
nil
Queensland Coal Investments
LIB
$16,500
nil
Santos
ALP
$57,166
$82,483
Santos
NAT
nil
$23,320
Santos
LIB
$27,500
$62,939
Woodside Energy
ALP
$112,600
$111,100
Woodside Energy
NAT
nil
$18,800
Woodside Energy
LIB
$127,000
$136,920
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