The Wire

Our major parties are no stranger to receiving support from politically-motivated corporations. A recent report by shareholder activist group Market Forces sheds light on donations from fossil fuel companies to the major parties. They found some of Australia’s biggest spenders in the oil and gas industries, such as Woodside and Santos, contributed nearly $830,000 across the Liberal, Labor and National parties.

This raises questions as to just how much power corporate interest holds over our democracy. However, a lack of transparency by both the political parties and the companies themselves, means the true extent of corporate interest in politics remains a mystery.