How much Clive Palmer spent to win one United Australia Party seat in parliament

An annual snapshot of political donations shows the United Australia Party's splurge outstripped both of Australia's major parties.

Clive Palmer's United Australia Party spent $120 million to win just one seat at the 2022 federal election. Source: AAP / Joel Carrett

KEY POINTS:

• United Australia Party spent more than $120 million in 2021-22.
• Figures outstrips spending even by major parties.
• Climate 200 spent $13 million to help drive teals to victory.

Clive Palmer's United Australia Party (UAP) spent more than $120 million to secure just one seat in parliament, despite a surge in support for minor parties and independents at the 2022 federal election.

And a company owned by Australia's third-richest person, Anthony Pratt, donated $1.5 million to the Labor Party within 24 hours of its election victory.

The Australia Electoral Commission has released its annual disclosures for 2021-22, also showing Climate 200 spent $13 million to help drive a number of teal independents over the line in Liberal-held seats.

The disclosure log is an annual snapshot of how money pours into politics, but excludes any donation under $14,500.

Splintering support for the major parties at the May poll swept the largest crossbench in Australian history into parliament, but the biggest spender of all could not ride the wave.

Relying on more than $117 million pumped in directly from Mr Palmer's company, including individual donations of $50 million and $30 million, the UAP spent more in a single year than any political party in Australian history.

Its $123.5 million splurge outstripped both of Australia's major parties - the Labor Party spent $113.6 million, and the Liberal Party $100.5 million - and dwarfed that of minor parties which performed significantly more strongly.

The Greens spent around $1.7 million per seat as they produced their best ever result. Source: AAP / JONO SEARLE/AAPIMAGE

But despite claiming to be a viable alternative government and running candidates in each electorate, the UAP secured no seats in the lower house and just one in upper house, finishing sixth in the Victorian Senate race with 4 per cent of the primary vote.

The party was voluntarily deregistered in September, though its sole parliamentary member, Senator Ralph Babet, insists it will be revived before the next election.

By contrast, the Greens produced their strongest result - four lower house seats and 12 Senate spots - after spending $27 million, meaning each seat cost the party roughly $1.7 million.

Pauline Hanson's One Nation also won two upper house seats cost a similar amount, the party reporting $3.4 million in total payments over the year.

Third-party funding

Climate 200, which backed a number of successful teal independents who toppled incumbent Liberal MPs, spent just under $13 million ahead of the campaign.

The organisation, run by Simon Holmes a Court, was a major player in races traditionally blue-ribbon seats, which saw then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg headline a group of Liberal moderates booted from parliament.

David Pocock was a major beneficiary of Climate 200's spending. Source: AAP / MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE

Independent senator for the ACT David Pocock was a major beneficiary, with more than $850,000 in donations sourced from Climate 200.

The former Wallabies captain, who spent nearly $1.8 million to oust long-term Liberal incumbent Zed Seselja, now wields a significant vote over legislation in the Senate.

Pratt Holdings, owned by Australia's third-richest person Anthony Pratt, donated $1.5 million to the Labor Party the day after the election.

The donation, its largest over the year, meant the company's overall spending was split equally between the major parties in 2021-22.

That's a significant turnaround from the prior year when it donated $1.3 million to the Coalition and just $10,000 to Labor.

Tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris, which launched multiple lawsuits against the former Labor government's plain packaging laws, donated a total of $110,000, split evenly between the Nationals and the Liberal Democratic Party.