Amazon meets the prime minister

On fourteen June twenty twenty-five, Anthony Albanese visited Amazon Web Services headquarters in Seattle. Chief executive Matt Garman outlined a twenty billion dollar plan to build datacentres in Melbourne and Sydney.

Largest donation on record follows

Within days of Albanese returning home, Amazon reported its largest payment to an Australian political party on record. The company paid forty six thousand five hundred dollars to Labor's federal branch on twenty eight June.

Pattern of payments before announcements

Over six years, Amazon made thirty four payments totalling five hundred thirty eight thousand dollars to Labor and Liberal branches. The company disclosed payments shortly before or after multibillion-dollar announcements.

Payments legal but facing scrutiny

These payments are legal. But as governments face community backlash for fast-tracking datacentres, these financial contributions are facing renewed scrutiny from transparency advocates.

Ex-premiers and lobbyists hired

Datacentre companies are increasingly turning to well-connected political operatives, from former policy advisers to at least one former premier, who have been paid to lobby governments on their behalf.

Transparency International's warning

Transparency International Australia's CEO Clancy Moore says datacentres are using old techniques. Moore says they rely on cash for access payments and full-scale lobbying to influence the political system.

“Datacentres are the new extractive industries but [are] using the old techniques of cash for access payments and full-scale lobbying to influence our political system”

Labor Business Forum membership fees

Amazon paid more than two hundred thousand dollars in membership fees to Labor's fundraising vehicle, the Labor Business Forum, since mid-twenty twenty-one. These fees facilitate access to ministers and MPs.

Secret datacentre deal timing

In twenty twenty-four the Albanese government announced a two billion dollar deal with Amazon Web Services to build three top-secret datacentres for intelligence agencies.

Macquarie's NSW payments and timing

Macquarie Technology Group made six payments to NSW Liberals worth ten thousand seven hundred dollars between November twenty twenty and June twenty twenty-one.

Rob Borbidge hired as lobbyist

Viridis Green datacentres paid former Queensland National premier Rob Borbidge to lobby Liberal National party ministers and senior public servants. In late August, Borbidge gave two state planning officials a tour of a Brisbane datacentre.

Twenty thousand dollar donation follows

Viridis made a twenty thousand dollar donation to the Queensland LNP on twenty October twenty twenty-five. Sources say it funded an event at the LNP party conference on the Gold Coast in November.

Greens MP questions donation purpose

Abigail Boyd, the upper house Greens MP leading a NSW parliamentary inquiry into datacentres, questioned why companies would pay political parties if they didn't expect a return on their investment.

“Multibillion-dollar companies don't make donations to major political parties for fun; they do it to acquire access, influence and good favour”

Federal concerns about tech influence

Independent ACT senator David Pocock, a member of a federal inquiry into datacentres, says he is concerned about technology companies bankrolling election campaigns. He sees the same pattern as big tech in US midterm elections.

Lack of lobbying transparency raises questions

The Centre for Public Integrity's executive director Catherine Williams says a lack of transparency about federal lobbying activity heightens community concern about payments to political parties and their purpose.

“There is a legitimate question to be answered about the purpose of any entity paying for party forum membership, or to attend political party/candidate events, if it is not to obtain access and influence that is beyond the reach of ordinary Australians”