00:00Well, it's no surprise, Labor has out-earned all the other parties.
00:06The ALP's WA branch has disclosed $1.3 million in donations over the last three months, well
00:13ahead of the Liberals and miles ahead of the Nationals and the Greens.
00:17Most of the money is in the form of gifts, and even though the Liberal Party is ahead
00:21on cash gifts, Labor comes out on top because of the affiliate fees paid by unions, compulsory
00:27party levies paid by MPs, and money raised through its Labor Business Roundtable arm,
00:33which lets business people attend intimate events with senior members of government.
00:37Look, in relation to who donates and how they donate, that's a matter for the party, but
00:42political donations are a part of our political system.
00:47Companies are by far the biggest donors, and unsurprisingly, mining is the most giving
00:52sector responsible for about a third of all corporate donations.
00:56Big donors include Eskidman & Co, owned by Gina Reinhart, and the Chamber of Minerals
01:01and Energy, which split its money between the major parties.
01:05Facility Management and Maintenance Company Programmed, which has been awarded about 40
01:10government contracts over the last three years, gave to both Labor and the Liberals, while
01:14Perderman, which is building a multi-billion dollar fertiliser plant in the Pilbara supported
01:19by the WA government, gave $25,000 to Labor and $12,000 to the Liberals.
01:25Until we get that big corporate money out of politics, everyday people are going to
01:30get sold out.
01:31People donate to all sides of politics.
01:34It's always happened, and it happens across the nation.
01:37Before long, all this money will be put to use with the next election in March fast approaching.
01:42But being cashed up isn't everything.
01:45The party with the most money doesn't necessarily win, but the party with the most money has
01:51an advantage when it comes to advertising and promoting its policies and promoting
01:56its candidates.
01:57For Labor, the money adds to its massive head start.
02:00For the Liberals, it's essential to even catch up.
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