Source: Green Party
Half a million dollars going to National in a week and a half, in an attempt to drive influence just before the election, shows why we need to get big money out of politics to make democracy work for all of us, says the Green Party.
From 2-13 October 2026, National received $499,000 in large donations, more than some parties have received the entire year, including the Opportunity Party ($491,660), nearly as much as the Green Party ($594,208), and almost 3.5 times more than Te Pati Māori ($144,000).
“Government is supposed to work for New Zealanders, not lobbyists and the super rich. It’s clear who the super rich are backing, and which party represents their interests,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.
“Though this is just pocket change to the super rich, they wouldn’t donate millions if it didn’t deliver something in return. This year, ACT received $2.4M and National received $2.8M in large donations. Both parties have received more than Labour, the Greens, Te Pati Māori and Opportunity combined, who received $2.1M total. That right there is 5.2 million examples showing the wealthy believe political influence is worth paying for.”
“This term, Luxon’s Government has been brazen in its goal to weaken donation laws, make voting harder, and strip thousands of people of their human right to vote. Now they’re reaping the benefits.”
“What we do with our democracy matters. Who we afford special privileges shapes the decisions made in Parliament and the direction this country takes.”
“Our democracy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy few. The Green Party will bring the power back to all New Zealanders by getting big money and influence out of politics, capping political donations at $30,000, stopping companies from donating, and setting up a public register of lobbyists.”
“Because the power should be held by the 99.3%, not the 0.7%,” says Marama Davidson.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/big-donors-hand-national-500k-in-11-days-eclipsing-some-parties-entire-2026-donation-total/