Alcohol and gambling companies and lobby groups donated $2.474 million to political parties in 2023-24.
After the release of the latest donation figures this week through the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) Transparency Register, the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) jointly called for alcohol and gambling companies to be excluded from making political donations.
CEO of FARE Caterina Giorgi said, "When companies provide donations to political parties, they do so to try and influence decision-making.
"Time and time again alcohol companies and their lobby groups delay and stop policies and programs that could improve the health and wellbeing of families and communities across Australia.
"We need to see common sense reforms that put the community first and strengthen our democracy. This must include a ban on political donations from alcohol companies and their lobby groups."
AEC data revealed that companies that profit exclusively from alcohol donated $998,000, while companies that profit exclusively from gambling donated $661,000 and those that profit from both alcohol and gambling donated $815,000.
Of these donations, 61 per cent went to the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and 38 per cent went to the Liberal National Party (LNP).
CEO of AGR Martin Thomas said, "In the last few months alone we have seen the influence and overreach from gambling lobby groups, which have stalled progress on legislating a gambling ad ban that our communities are loudly calling for.
"The evidence shows these donations spike at times when reforms are being considered. It is a blatant attempt to undermine reform and in doing so it is an attack on our democratic process.
"With political willpower it is absolutely possible for gambling and alcohol companies to be excluded from donating - we saw it with tobacco, now let's see it for these other industries that are causing significant health and social harms in our communities," he said.
The top five donors were the Australian Hotels Association and Queensland Hotels Association, Endeavour Group, Tabcorp Holdings, Clubs NSW/Australia and Sportsbet.
