Greens and some independents are biggest winners from Labor’s proposed donation cap, data shows

All six teal MPs would have been worse off under proposed changes while the Greens and independents Dai Le, Helen Haines and Andrew Wilkie would have gained, a Guardian analysis found. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The Greens and independent MPs who ran low-cost campaigns have emerged as the biggest winners from Labor’s proposed donation cap and increased public funding of elections, data shows.

According to a Guardian Australia analysis of 2021-22 data, the Greens would have lost just $2.7m in donations if Labor’s proposed $20,000 cap had been law at the time, a sum more than made up for by a $5.6m increase in public funding. In net terms, the Greens would have been $2.9m better off.