Major party donors revealed, National draws in $4.8m
Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Billionaires, millionaires, potential fast-track beneficiaries, and MPs themselves were among the largest donors to political parties last year.
The National Party was the biggest recipient of donations, taking in $4.8 million in 2024, according to parties’ returns published by the Electoral Commission on Monday.
The returns record the total sum of donations and disclose the donors who gave money above the value of $5000, recording the major backers of political parties, and those seeking to access and influence MPs.
Among National’s largest donors were Nelson philanthropist John Wares, who died earlier this year, at $345,000, former Sistema owner and richlister Brendan Lindsay at $138,000, and Garth Barfoot of real estate firm Barfoot and Thompson at $60,000.
Labour drew in $1.6m in donations, its largest from retired high court judge Robert Smellie at $45,000, founder of Les Mills gym Phillip Mills at $25,000, and former Auckland mayor Richard “Dick” Hubbard at $20,000.
The bulk of its donations came from tithings from the salaries of its own MPs, each stumping up fortnightly contributions.
The Green Party similarly tithed its MPs to obtain its $1.49m in donations. Its largest donations came from Nelson investor Michael Lookman, who is behind a charity which has mounted legal challenges against Government environmental policy, and donated $100,000.
Lawyer Tim Smith of Thorndon Chambers was recorded as donating $43,650 to the Greens. Smith has clarified that related to probono legal work he did for the party, defending the party against a claim from Darleen Tana.
“I did that case pro-bono as a matter of principle and because I didn’t think it appropriate that small donors’ cash should be used to pay big legal bills on a constitutional issue such as that,” he said. “It was not because I am a Green supporter ..I don’t affiliate myself with any political party and happily work with people of all political views and backgrounds.'
ACT received $1.46m in donations, including $150,000 from an estate, $100,000 from billionaire Zuru Toys founder Nicholas Mowbray, and $50,000 from richlister businessman Graeme Hart.
Hart’s firm Rank Group also contributed $50,000 to NZ First, which gathered $758,773 in donations.
Among the largest donations to NZ First were $84,680 from Melrose Private Capital, which owns Taharoa Ironsands, which has applied to progress a mining project under the Government’s fast-track regime.
NZ First Minister Shane Jones, one of the ministers responsible for the fast-track regime, last year recused himself from decisions related to Taharoa Ironsands for a potential pecuniary - or financial - conflict of interest.
Another possible beneficiary of the fast-track that donated to NZ First was Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust, which has sought to expand sand mining, build residential and retirement homes, and develop land-based aquaculture, under the fast-track rules.
The iwi trust donated $13,000 to NZ First.
NZ First also received $6000 from Wellington lobby firm Capital, across three separate dates.
Director Ben Thomas said this donation was his fellow director, former NZ First MP Fletcher Tabuteau, attending fund-raising dinners held by the party. Tabuteau was overseas and unavailable on Monday.
Te Pāti Māori said it received $53,846 in donations in 2024, and disclosed no donations above $5000. It did not provide the necessary audit of report, and did not respond to a request for comment about this.
A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said, “the party has told us the audit report will be filed in the next few days”.
“We will stay in touch with the party on this matter.”
Te Pāti Māori has previously failed to complete the filings required under law.
Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify that the amount recorded as donated to the Greens by Tim Smith was in fact pro bono legal work. Story updated May 7, 2025, 9.52am.