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The National Party received nearly $5 million in party donations in 2024, more than triple the amount the Labour Party received.

The Electoral Commission has released a breakdown of donations political parties reported in the 2024 calendar year, as well as any loans parties received.

Political parties must make annual returns, including identifying anyone who donated more than $5000 during the year.

National topped the 2024 list, receiving $4,889,538.20 in party donations overall.

The largest donor to the party was the late Nelson philanthropist John Wares, who died in March of this year.

He donated a little over $220,000, with an additional $125,000 donated alongside wife Irina.

Sistema founder Brendan Lindsay and real estate patriarch Garth Barfoot were among other big donors. A number of MPs donated money.

Donations to National – as with other political parties – were well down on 2023, which was an election year when donations are high. In 2023, National received more than $10 million.

National leader Christopher Luxon. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

Labour followed National with $1,627,713.92 in donations. Retired High Court judge Robert Smellie, a known Labour donor, provided $45,000, the largest single donation. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark is listed as donating $11,000.

The party’s MPs also each donated thousands of dollars. Leader Chris Hipkins donated the most at more than $12,000.

The Green Party received $1,588,680.02, with a $100,000 donation from Nelson’s Michael Lookman and thousands from MPs.

Act isn’t far behind on $1,463,445.22. That includes a $100,000 donation from Nicholas Mowbray, a founder of the toy company Zuru.

Only one of its MPs, Karen Chhour, is identified as donating more than $5000 (others may have donated below this threshold). Former leader Don Brash donated nearly $7000.

New Zealand First got $758,773.91 in donations as well as a $119,000 loan from Dot Jones, the partner of minister Shane Jones and a party board member.

The loan is noted with a repayment date of December 20 this year.

NZ First’s largest donation of $84,680 came from Melrose Private Capital. Its website describes it as an “investment vehicle for Wayne and Rosemary Coffey of Wellington”. Some of its MPs also donated.

The Opportunities Party got nearly $83,000, while Te Pāti Māori received almost $54,000.

Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.