“Even though UAP did not win a seat, it is clear the big spending had an important influence on the election outcome, and this is influence not by sheer force of ideas, or mobilisation in terms of people, but by money itself, and I think that undermines the fairness of the electoral contest”.

The Melbourne university professor, who is an advocate for caps on election spending for political actors and third parties, said the case study also pointed to the outsized influence of the fossil fuel industry on Australian elections.

He said it was self-evident that Palmer was a mining magnate, and electoral records show fossil fuel companies are among the largest contributors to the major parties.

via Clive Palmer outspends McDonald’s, Toyota and Coles to advertise his political party | Australia news | The Guardian