Cash for Candidates: How the biggest donors spent $52m

Our biggest electoral donors: Kim Dotcom, Gareth Morgan and Colin Craig. (Image: NZME)
Andy Fyers
Murray Jones
Welcome to our Cash for Candidates series, where BusinessDesk's investigations unit follows the money and runs the numbers on major election donors since 1996. More than $52 million has been donated to political parties since 1996 by major donors whose contributions are above the threshold for public declaration.A BusinessDesk analysis of donations found they have come from 538 donors from individuals, businesses, trusts and non-profit organisations.The average donation is about $47,000.Biggest donorsThe three biggest donors are a...

More Politics

Inside Trump’s million-dollar dinners with health chiefs
Politics

Inside Trump’s million-dollar dinners with health chiefs

Meals during the presidential transition were a lucrative moneymaking venture.

MPI investigates school lunch provider
Services

MPI investigates school lunch provider

Investigation after complaint about 'inaccurate labelling' of school lunches. 

Cécile Meier 21 Feb 2025
‘Tweak’ viewshafts to enable more Auckland high-rises
Infrastructure

‘Tweak’ viewshafts to enable more Auckland high-rises

Chris Bishop wants to maximise opportunities from the $5.5b City Rail Link project.

Oliver Lewis 21 Feb 2025
Manukau Harbour port option ‘technically feasible’
Infrastructure

Manukau Harbour port option ‘technically feasible’

Dredging a channel and port area would take several years and up to $1.2b.

Oliver Lewis 20 Feb 2025