25 May 2026: Right-Wing Donations Over $20,000
Who Are the Big Donors Funding the Right-Wing?
By Dr Harpreet Singh | drhsinghnz.substack.com | FB: @DrHSinghNZ | BSky: @DrHSinghNZ | IG: @DrHSinghNZ
Author’s Note: Brian Cartmell represents the largest donor to National, ACT and NZ First. He is also the largest donor to the Opportunity Party. Keep this in mind when reading what is here.
New Zealand’s political donations register tells a story that deserves far more public scrutiny.
In 2026, large donors have put tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars into parties driving, enabling, or benefiting from a policy agenda widely criticised as anti-Māori and anti-Treaty, anti-rainbow, anti-worker, anti-pay equity, and harmful to disabled people.
To be clear, a donation does not prove that every donor personally supports every policy of a party. But money is not neutral. Large donations help parties campaign, advertise, organise, shape debate, and win power. When donors fund parties advancing these agendas, the public has a right to ask what kind of New Zealand that money is helping build.
The anti-Māori and anti-Treaty agenda has been plain to see. The Treaty Principles Bill sought to redefine the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in law. It was rejected overwhelmingly in Parliament, but only after months of mobilisation, protest, and harm to Māori communities forced once again to defend foundational rights.
The anti-worker agenda is equally visible. Fair Pay Agreements were repealed. Ninety-day trials were expanded to all employers. These changes weaken collective bargaining and shift power away from workers and toward employers.
The anti-pay equity agenda is especially stark. Changes to pay equity law cancelled existing claims and made future claims harder to progress. These changes disproportionately affect women in undervalued, female-dominated workforces, including care, education, health, and support roles.
The disability sector has also been hit. Funding restrictions and uncertainty have placed pressure on disabled people, whānau, carers, and support providers. At the same time, changes to pay equity undermine the disability support workforce, a workforce already underpaid, stretched, and essential.
Rainbow communities are also facing regression by invisibility. After hard-won progress toward better data collection on rainbow communities, policy shifts risk making LGBTQIA+ people less visible in official data. Without visibility, it becomes easier for governments to ignore inequity.
This is why donor transparency matters.
The donors in the table are not just names and dollar amounts. They represent sectors with significant interests in property, construction, oil and gas, agribusiness, racing, private equity, finance, and technology. These sectors are helping fund parties whose policy programme has real consequences for Māori rights, Te Tiriti, rainbow communities, workers, women seeking pay equity, disabled people, and carers.
The question for voters is simple:
When big money flows into politics, whose interests are being protected, and whose rights are being weakened?
Political donations are legal. Public scrutiny is also democratic.
If wealthy individuals and companies can fund political power, communities have every right to name the consequences of that power.
Follow the money. Follow the policy. Follow the harm.
26/5/2026: Image was updated with more data.
Download the PDF version here.
You do realise that Opportunity also has donors who have donated to Labour, Greens and TPM? That what being neither left nor right means. Opportunity will work with anyone keen to make New Zealand a better place.