SYDNEY, February 4, 2026 — A major Australian political advocacy group that aggressively targeted Labor, Green, and independent candidates during the last federal election was almost entirely bankrolled by a coal industry lobby, newly disclosed financial records reveal. It’s a reminder that even as voters demand climate action, powerful interests are still working to shape the political landscape.
Coal Industry Funds Attacks on Climate-Focused Candidates
A campaign group spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking political opponents, with 94% of its funding coming from a single source: Coal Australia.
- Australians for Prosperity received $3.89 million in political receipts during the last financial year.
- $3.68 million of that funding came from Coal Australia, a lobby group launched in 2024.
- The group spent $414,903 on online ads attacking the Greens, independents, and Labor during the last federal election.
- Former Liberal MP Jason Falinski expressed surprise at the extent of Coal Australia’s funding.
Q: How much did the coal industry contribute to this political campaign?
A: Coal Australia provided $3.68 million to Australians for Prosperity, representing 94% of the group’s total declared political income of $3.89 million.
Australians for Prosperity received $3.89 million in total political receipts in the last financial year, according to disclosures made to the Australian Electoral Commission. Of that amount, a staggering $3.68 million came from Coal Australia, which was launched in 2024 and is funded by membership fees from coal producers, suppliers, and customers.
Electoral commission disclosures show Coal Australia made $5,389,523 in political donations in the 2024-25 financial year. The largest single recipient was Australians for Prosperity, which received $2,738,026 directly from Coal Australia, plus an additional $940,000 in “other receipts” from the same source.
During the last federal election, analysis showed Australians for Prosperity spent $414,903 on online advertisements attacking the Greens, independent candidates, and the Labor Party.
Australians for Prosperity has established ties to the Liberal party. Jason Falinski, a former Liberal MP, served as the group’s spokesperson during the last general election. The current spokesperson is Caroline Di Russo, president of the Western Australian Liberal party and a frequent commentator on Sky News.
In a statement released following the electoral commission disclosures, Australians for Prosperity said it received $3.89 million in total receipts in 2024 and 2025 “from more than 420 donors across Australia,” characterizing this as evidence of “the scale of support behind a movement focused on lifting living standards and restoring economic opportunity.”
Falinski, who is no longer involved in the group’s day-to-day operations, said he was “surprised” to learn the extent to which Coal Australia funded the organization. “Maybe I should have asked more questions,” he said.
He added, “I knew we were getting some money [from Coal Australia] but I had no idea of the quantum or what the percentage was. I would have been concerned if my name was put on campaigns that were pro-coal or pro-fossil fuels because I am not in favour of sectorial interests. I’m in favour of cleaner and cheaper energy for all Australians. I’m not willing to say I support coal if it is more expensive and dirtier than other forms of energy.”
Falinski maintained that the campaign operated independently, with “no direction from anyone” and that he had “no contact or discussions” with Coal Australia. “Our campaign was about prosperity and improving the choices Australians had and promoting policies to promote opportunity, not restrict it,” he said.
Many of the group’s advertisements targeted independent candidates who were supported by funding from Climate 200, an organization founded by climate advocate Simon Holmes à Court.
Byron Fay, the executive director of Climate 200, stated that Australians for Prosperity “received millions of dollars from Coal Australia to run disinformation campaigns targeting climate friendly independents in the lead-up to the last election.”
Di Russo did not respond to questions regarding the funding, but stated that the group “was founded on a simple proposition: Australians deserve a nation where they can keep more of what they earn, families can get ahead and government gets out of the way.” She added, “That is what we stand for. That is what we will continue to stand for.”
Coal Australia also declared $239,650 in donations to political parties, with the majority going to parties on the right side of the political spectrum. The Nationals received $131,000, Queensland’s Liberal National party received $84,500, and the federal Liberals received $10,000. A smaller amount, $12,500, was split among the federal, Queensland, and Western Australian branches of the Labor Party.
Michael Mazengarb, the head of corporate accountability at Climate Integrity, said the disclosures demonstrate a “clear attempt” by Coal Australia to influence the federal election. “A fundamental problem is that we only get this data eight months after the election and that’s too late because people have already cast their votes,” he said.
Coal Australia’s chief executive, Stuart Bocking, said the organization “aims to give a voice, not just to our coal mining communities, but to every Australian household and business that now opens their power bill with a sense of genuine trepidation.” He argued that the national debate around coal has been “distorted by ideology and glib sloganeering” and asserted that coal will remain a part of Australia’s energy mix “until at least 2049.”
“Democracy thrives on voters getting a cross-section of information to ensure we have sensible policy settings based in fact and reality, rather than hope and ideology,” he said.
