Pharmacy Daily | Guild spends big on Coalition support

DATA released by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) this week, shows Coalition parties enjoyed the lion's share of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia's political donations in the 2020/21 financial year.

The data revealed the Guild spent a total of $295,149 on contributions to policital parties (up from $214,120 in FY2019/20), with $206,553 going to branches of the Liberal and National parties, while the Australian Labor Party received $88,596, across its Federal, Queensland and Western Australian branches.

The Federal branch of the Liberal Party of Australia topped the Guild's list of donations, receiving a total of $47,700, while the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP)was given the second largest sum ($43,490), with the National Party taking in $37,580 in contributions from the organisation.

Just under 40% of the Guild's political spending went to the major parties' Federal branches, with State elections during FY 2020/21 seeing significant funding go to the parties in Queensland and WA.

The Guild gave $36,821 to Labor in Queensland during the year, with $31,897 (86.6%) being donated in the lead up to the 31 Oct 2020 election, while close to 60% of the funding given to the LNP was made after the party's electoral defeat.

In WA, where Premier Mark McGowan's Labor won a significant majority, the Guild's spending was reasonably even, with the organisation contributing $21,575 to Labor, with the Liberal Party's State branch being given $20,733.

Labor's Federal branch received the largest single donation from the Guild in FY 2020/21, $27,500, which was given on 18 Mar 2021, with two subsequent contributions being made on 30 Mar 2021 ($500) and on 02 Jun 2021 ($2,200).

The Guild also contributed $25,550 to the Liberal Party of Australia's NSW Division, with the Tasmanian branch receiving a single donation of $16,500, while the South Australia arm of the party received $15,000.

Overall the Guild's $295,149 spending on political donations was the second highest in the last eight years, eclipsed only by the $773,791 it handed over in FY 2018/19 in the lead up to the last Federal Election.