CATHY McGowan received almost $137,000 in donations during last year’s federal election campaign, smashing the record for an independent candidate.
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Australian Electoral Commission data shows the Indi MP received $136,956 from her 1120 donors.
It tops the sum of $123,850 which the retired MP Tony Windsor received in 2007 in his seat of New England.
Ms McGowan’s grassroots campaign used crowd-funding and social media to boost resources. She received donations from across Australia.
The data shows Ms McGowan spent:
- $41,409 on TV and radio advertisements.
- $47,965 on print advertisements.
- $28,466 on campaign material such as how-to-vote cards; and
- $11,700 on direct mail-outs.
Ms McGowan said the other $7416 was spent on T-shirts, with some sold at cost price and others given to volunteers.
No money was spent on opinion polls or other electoral research.
“We thought it was too expensive for us in the early days, when it would have been best to do it, so we never bothered,” Ms McGowan said.
“Our total focus was on engaging, not winning.”
No donation exceeded $12,500 — the threshold at which details of the person or organisation donating the money must be provided.
The fund-raising target for the campaign was lifted from $50,000 to $75,000 to $100,000 as the money rolled in.
Ms McGowan’s organisers no longer chased donations after the campaign hit $100,000, but they were still accepted through her website.
The huge tally is in contrast to the amount raised by fellow independent Jennifer Podesta, who declared $10,000.
She said she spent the bulk of that on campaign materials.
Figures for all other Indi candidates, including former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella, are not yet available.
Donations to candidates endorsed by registered parties are included in party financial disclosure returns for 2013–14.
They will not be available until February next year.
