Political party campaign account

General requirements

Payments by a political party for electoral expenditure in relation to a state election must be paid from the state campaign account of the party, and in relation to a local government election must be paid from the local government campaign account of the party.

The state campaign account and local government campaign account are to be separate accounts held in Australian dollars with a financial institution. A party that does not incur electoral expenditure for a state or local government election is not required to keep a state campaign account or local government campaign account (as applicable).

It is a matter for each party to identify officers of the party who will be authorised with the financial institution to operate the party’s campaign accounts. However, where a party agent is the person responsible for managing political donations and electoral expenditure on behalf of elected members, groups or candidates who are members of the party, the party agent or a person appointed in writing by the party agent is to operate the party’s campaign account.

Party accounts used for elected members, candidates and groups

The state campaign account and local government campaign account must be used by the party agent of a registered party to deposit political donations and make payments for electoral expenditure on behalf of the elected members, candidates and groups for whom the party agent is responsible. For this reason, the party agent of a party must be authorised to operate the account.

A party agent can appoint a person in writing to operate the campaign account for the purpose of depositing political donations and making payments for electoral expenditure on behalf of the elected members, candidates and groups for whom the party agent is responsible. A record of the appointment by a party agent should be kept by the agent.

A person cannot be appointed by a party agent to operate a campaign account if the person has been convicted of an offence that would disqualify the person from being appointed as a party agent or if the person is not a fit and proper person as determined by the NSW Electoral Commission.

Political donations accepted by a party agent on behalf of elected members, groups or candidates are to be accounted for separately for each elected member, group and candidate.

Any funds relating to an elected member, group or candidate that remain in a party’s account after the person ceases to be an elected member, group or candidate, become the property of the party.