The recent surge in funding for the conservative lobby group Advance has raised alarms among members of the New South Wales Liberal Party. Australian billionaire James Packer dropped an eye-popping $150,000 in July 2024 on the campaign. Both fear and hope have surrounded this shift in financial support moving away from old party machines and toward ideological movements. Donations to Programming Advance have skyrocketed. Last financial year, they soared to record highs of $13.5 million, up from just $2.4 million in 2018-19.
Advance was founded in 2018-19. It functions outside of the traditional party structure and thus doesn’t have to adhere to the same strict financial regulations that political organizations do. Strict new laws regulating political donations by the Australian property industry will come in from July. With these laws to take effect limiting personal contributions to registered parties or candidates to $50,000, this fact will be supercharged. Because Advance does not have this designation, it is not subject to these constraints.
Growing Financial Influence of Advance
The fiscal path of Advance provides a sobering example of its meteoric rise in its ability to fundraise. Last fiscal year, it attracted more than $13.5 million, a sign of the times as a pipeline of rich donors continue to switch their allegiances. Packer’s latest piece was based on data released by the Australian Electoral Commission just last month.
Some Liberal members express concerns that this trend could signify a broader ideological shift within financial backing for conservative politics in Australia. One unnamed Liberal MP termed the loss “a bad harbinger for the Liberal Party.” More importantly, they pointed out the dangers that such large donors, such as Packer and Gina Rinehart, were supporting an ideology that is moving away from Liberal core values, rather than just propping up the party itself.
“I think some of those big types in money are looking for something they recognise as conservative.” – Unnamed Liberal MP
This sentiment goes to the heart of concerns that Advance’s ambitions are not necessarily aligned with those of the Liberal Party. As the party faces competition from rising entities such as One Nation, which has recently outperformed the Liberals in polls, these financial dynamics could shift the landscape of conservative politics in Australia.
Ties Between Donors and Ideology
The synergy among deep-pocketed donors and ideology-driven organizations such as Advance has bred mistrust and fear among rank and file GOPers. Packer’s relationship with the Liberal Party apparently turned in some of the months his donations to them stopped. Packer’s grandfather Frank Packer was a diehard backer of Liberal icon Robert Menzies. This assistance set a new historical precedent of the family’s involvement with the party.
Some members are concerned that leaders like Packer are leading the party to more ideologically motivated funding. They fear this increased wariness will erode broader support for their party’s ideological brand. Even the Government’s own Liberal MPs have voiced concerns over the wisdom of this change. In particular, they take issue with donors picking ideological purity over giving directly to the party.
“It is a worry that donors like James Packer and Gina Rinehart were backing not a party but an ideology.” – Unnamed Liberal MP
Advance is new but rising quickly as a financial powerplayer. This brings into serious question the broader direction that the Liberal Party takes from here and the fate of its traditional support base.
Leadership Concerns and Future Directions
Against this backdrop of change, there have been calls for a change of leadership in the NSW Liberal Party. Tony Abbott has been a public advocate for Advance’s executive director being appointed NSW Liberal president. This action indicates a potential new direction from leadership that aligns with deepening the party’s ties to the influential far-right base.
Even more telling was the willingness of far-and-away liberal member Andrew Hastie to work together with other centre-right political actors with similar aims. He stated, “These are normal Australians, and I am happy to work with anyone on the centre-right who is willing to deliver outcomes for Australians.” This type of collaboration can disrupt established party dynamics and create a perceived disloyalty to established party apparatuses.
As hard as it is to believe, the political landscape is changing quickly. Advance’s growing power and multi-million-dollar contributions may force candidates to remake their strategies and form new coalitions in the Liberal Party.
