It comes after Labor urged its supporters to donate to “help fight” One Nation’s rise.
After Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly cast doubt on the fundraiser, One Nation told Sky News it will undergo an independent audit.
The next federal election isn’t due until 2028. Why are parties fundraising?
One Nation
One Nation was founded by Pauline Hanson in 1997. The party has four federal senators, including Hanson.
In May, it won its first federal lower house seat at the Farrer by-election.
One Nation’s policies include reducing the number of people allowed to migrate to Australia each year, and walking back commitments to action on climate change.
Multiple recent polls have shown One Nation overtaking Labor on primary votes (who you would rank first on your ballot if an election were held tomorrow).
Labor campaign
Amid the recent poll results and following the Farrer by-election, Labor launched a social media campaign asking for donations “to prevent One Nation from turning polling momentum into seats”.
In advertisements seen across social media, Labor urged people to donate $27.22.
When asked about the fundraising drive on Wednesday, Albanese said: “We do ads all the time because we have supporters and... we ask our supporters to provide support for the Labor Party. Nothing unusual about that.”
Donations
One Nation launched its own fundraiser, titled ‘FIRE THE LIAR!’ (i.e. Albanese) on Wednesday morning, with a goal to raise $1 million.
It said it had reached this goal early Wednesday night.
One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson told 6PR Perth on Wednesday: “I think
we’re all absolutely blown away by the support that’s coming in”.
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Like other political party fundraisers, One Nation hasn’t made the number of donors or the average size of donation publicly accessible on its website.
On Thursday, Albanese publicly questioned the donations, asking “what evidence is there?” that the party had raised the amount it said it had.
When asked if he suspected the website might be fake, Albanese said: “You work it out. I have no idea.”
In response, One Nation told Sky News 28,000 people had donated as of Thursday morning.
Pauline Hanson’s chief of staff James Ashby told Sky the donations were “all legitimate”.
“We’re running a campaign saying ‘Fire the Liar’, what good would we be if we were lying ourselves? That just doesn’t make sense.”
Ashby also told Sky he would have the donation website “independently audited”.
Political donations
Politicians and parties are legally obliged to disclose certain donations they have received from individuals or corporations.
There are no limits on how much a person or entity can donate to a political campaign.
Until 1 January 2027, all donations above $17,300 must be disclosed. From next year, the threshold will be lowered to $5,000.
It’s estimated the source of around one-third of Australian political donations is unknown.
Next election
The sitting prime minister gets to choose the election date, with the Governor-General’s approval.
Terms of Parliament are three years, meaning the next federal election isn’t due until 2028.
Victoria and NSW will hold state elections in November and March, respectively. One Nation is expected to run candidates in both of these elections.
