Political Fundraising: One Nation NDA for $3,000 Donors
One Nation is requiring donors at an exclusive Sydney event to sign a non-disclosure agreement, a practice major parties say is new.
By Luis Medina ·
Political fundraising in New South Wales typically relies on open invitations and public disclosure, but One Nation is testing the limits of that transparency. The party has requested that donors attending a private Sydney fundraiser next Thursday sign a non-disclosure agreement before they enter the venue.
The event, described in invitations as a "very special evening," carries a ticket price of $3,000 per person. Attendees will meet One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, national director James Ashby, federal MP Barnaby Joyce, chief of staff Chris Taylor, and NSW leader Mike Newman. The four-hour gathering includes a live auction and a cocktail service, and the location remains undisclosed until one hour before the event begins.
The invitation requires guests to keep the identities of other attendees and the content of all conversations strictly private. The agreement states that donors must not disclose information about conversations, activities, photographs, or video obtained during the event. It also prohibits guests from providing recordings or comments to journalists, media organizations, bloggers, or other publishers. These obligations continue after the event concludes.
Senior sources from both the Labor and Liberal parties say the use of a non-disclosure agreement for a fundraising dinner is unprecedented. While such dinners are common among major parties, they have not previously required attendees to legally bind their silence. This marks a shift in how the party manages its donor relationships ahead of the state election.
Clancy Moore, chief executive of Transparency International Australia, described the move as a worrying new step. Moore said that charging guests for a political fundraiser and requiring them to keep quiet raises serious questions about transparency. He argued that voters deserve to know if political commitments are being made behind closed doors to paying guests.
Christian Slattery, a senior campaigner at the Australian Democracy Network, said Australians are rightly suspicious of exclusive cash-for-access events. Slattery noted that slapping an NDA on a political fundraiser sets a worrying precedent for democracy. He emphasized that the political process thrives in the sunlight, not in secrecy.
One Nation has disclosed $5,000 in reportable donations for the 2026-27 financial year so far. These funds came from three donations linked to a fundraising dinner with Barnaby Joyce. In the same period, the NSW Labor party reported raising $286,200 in total reportable donations, while the NSW Liberals raised $95,900. The individual threshold for a reportable donation in New South Wales is $1,000.
The party is currently polling at 25% of the first-preference vote in New South Wales, ahead of the Coalition and behind Labor, according to a September poll. One Nation has required candidates at state elections to sign non-disclosure agreements preventing them from discussing their candidacy with the media. The party did not respond to requests for comment regarding the new donor agreement.
In early September, the address of a similar fundraising lunch in Melbourne was leaked to the media. Journalists photographed donors entering that venue. Other high-profile fundraisers in the state have faced protests and clashes with supporters, prompting a heavy police presence. One Nation has planned additional small-ticket dinners and forums for November.
