Appointing an agent

For more information, refer to Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985.

What is an agent?

An agent is a person appointed by a registered political party, candidate, group of candidates, or third party to manage their obligations under Part 13A.

An agent must be a natural person who has attained 18 years of age. A person is not eligible to be an agent if they have been convicted of a prescribed offence (section 130G(3)).

More information can be found on our agents page.

Who needs an agent?

All registered political parties must appoint an agent. If a registered political party has endorsed:

• a candidate, or
• all members of a group,

then the party agent is also the agent of the candidate or group, as the case may be.

An unendorsed candidate, an unendorsed group, or a third party may appoint an agent.

If an unendorsed candidate does not appoint an agent, they are their own agent.

If an unendorsed group does not appoint an agent, then the candidate whose name appears first on the ballot papers is the agent for the group.

If a third party does not appoint an agent, and the third party is a natural person, then they are the agent. In any other case, each member of the executive committee is the agent.

How to appoint an agent

The agent must be appointed in writing. The appointment must include the name and address of the proposed agent and a signed form of consent and declaration by the proposed agent that they are eligible for appointment.

Candidates, groups and third parties are not permitted to change their agent after close of nominations. Your agent as at the close of nominations will be your agent for the duration of the election. Only registered political parties may change their agent after the close of nominations (section 130G(4)).

Please visit our funding and disclosure forms page to download an agent appointment form.

Terminating an agent's appointment

Revoking an appointment

A registered political party may only revoke an agent's appointment if they also give a notice of appointment of another agent.

An unendorsed candidate, unendorsed group or third party may revoke an agent's appointment by giving the Electoral Commissioner notice in writing.

Resignation

An agent may resign from their appointment as an agent by giving the Electoral Commissioner notice in writing. The appointing person or body must, without delay, advise the Electoral Commissioner in writing of an agent’s resignation. In the case of a registered political party, they must also provide a notice of appointment of another agent.

Termination due to conviction of offence

An agent's appointment is terminated if, subject to the appeal process, the agent is convicted of a prescribed offence. If the person is the agent of a registered political party, the party must give notice to the Electoral Commissioner of the replacement agent within 28 days of the conviction, or within 28 days of the appeal being determined.

Death

If an agent dies then the appointing person or body must advise the Electoral Commissioner in writing without delay.

In the case of a registered political party, they must provide a notice of the death and appoint another agent within 28 days of the agent’s death.

For more information, see section 130I of the Electoral Act.

Forms to give notice of revocation of an agent appointment, or the resignation, conviction or death of an agent can be obtained from our funding and disclosure forms page.

Donations to candidates or groups

This information is for donors who have made a donation to a candidate or member of a group.

For more information, refer to Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985.

Who was the recipient?

A gift or loan made to a member of a group is taken to be a gift or loan to the group if it was made for the benefit of all members of the group (section 130A(5)(a)).

A gift or loan made to:

• an endorsed candidate who is not a member of a group, or
• a group all of whose members are endorsed by the same registered political party,

is taken to be a gift or loan to the party (sections 130A(5)(b) and (c)). 

What must be disclosed

A person who makes a gift or loan with an amount or value totalling more than $5,000 (indexed) to a candidate or member of a group during a disclosure period must lodge a donor return with the Electoral Commissioner.

This does not apply to gifts or loans made by:

• A registered political party.
• An associated entity.
• A candidate.

The information which must be provided in a donor return includes:

• The amount or value of the gift or loan.
• The date on which it was made.
• Any other details prescribed by the regulations.

Refer to section 130ZG for further information.

A donor must also report any gifts or loans of more than $5,000 (indexed) received by them and used wholly or partly to enable them to make the disclosable gift or loan or to reimburse them for making such a gift or loan (section 130ZG(3)).

Reporting timeframes

If the gift or loan was made outside the designated period, then it must be reported within 30 days of the start of the designated period. See our glossary page for the definition of a designated period.

If the gift or loan was made during the designated period, then it must be reported at the end of the designated period (section 130ZG(4)).

Donor return form

Please visit our funding and disclosure forms page to download the form.

Offences

Failing to lodge a return within the legislated timeframe is an offence for which the maximum penalty is $5,000.

Lodging a return which a person knows is false or misleading in a material particular is an offence for which the maximum penalty is $10,000.

For more information, refer to section 130ZZE of the Electoral Act.

Obligations of a third party

This information is for associated entities and third parties.

For more information, refer to Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985.

Associated entity or third party?

See our glossary page for the definitions of an associated entity and a third party.

An associated entity may also be a third party.

Agents

Associated entity

An associated entity cannot appoint an agent. The financial controller of the associated entity is the person responsible for fulfilling the entity's obligations under Part 13A.

Third party

A third party may appoint an agent (section 130F).

If an associated entity is also a third party, it then has 2 sets of obligations. In that case, it may appoint an agent to ensure its obligations as a third party are fulfilled. For more information, visit our appointing an agent page.

State campaign accounts

Associated entity

An associated entity is not required to maintain a state campaign account.

Third party

A third party is only required to maintain a state campaign account if they receive a gift which must be paid into a state campaign account (section 130K). All gifts must be paid into the state campaign account unless:

• the third party does not intend to use the gift for political expenditure, or
• the gift was made or received in contravention of Part 13A.

These gifts must not be paid into the state campaign account.

In addition, if a third party has a state campaign account, they must ensure that all political expenditure is paid from that account (section 130N).

Associated entity and third party obligations

An associated entity and third party must do the following:

• Record gifts of $200 or more and loans of $1,000 or more (sections 130ZJ and 130ZK).
• Lodge half-yearly returns within 30 days of the end of each half-yearly period (sections 130ZO and 130ZP).
• In the year of a general election, lodge additional returns (sections 130ZO and 130ZP).
• Lodge an annual political expenditure return (section 130ZR) if the entity's political expenditure during a financial year is more than:
  • $5,000 (indexed) - for associated entities
  • $10,000 (indexed) - for third parties
• Provide audit certificates for all returns lodged (section 130ZV).

Additional obligations of a third party

A third party must also do the following:

• Lodge a donor return if they have made a gift or loan with an amount or value totalling more than $5,000 (indexed) to a candidate or member of a group during a disclosure period. For more information see donations to candidates or groups.
• Lodge a capped expenditure period return within 60 days of polling day if the third party’s total amount of political expenditure during the capped expenditure period exceeded $5,000 (indexed) (section 130ZQ).

Records and evidence

For more information, refer to Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985.

Record keeping

If you have a document that contains information relating to a matter that has been or should be set out in a return lodged with the Electoral Commissioner, you are required to retain those records for at least 4 years. The 4 year period starts on the day of the election to which the return relates.

Refer to section 130ZZA of the Electoral Act for further information.

Recording gifts and loans

A relevant entity, candidate or group is not permitted to receive a gift with an amount or value of $200 or more without recording the name and address of the donor (section 130ZJ).

See our glossary page for the definition of a gift.

A relevant entity, candidate or group is not permitted to receive a loan of $1,000 or more, other than from a financial institution, without recording the terms of the loan and information regarding the name and address of the lender. Section 130ZK(3) outlines the information that must be recorded about the lender.

‘Financial institution’ is defined in section 130ZK(8) as a body which carries on a business that consists of, or includes, the provision of financial services or financial products and which is either an authorised deposit-taking institution (ADI) or  a body prescribed by the regulations.

A ‘loan’ is defined in section 130ZK(8) as meaning any of the following:

• An advance of money.
• A provision of credit or any other form of financial accommodation.
• A payment of an amount for, on account of, on behalf of or at the request of, a person, if there is an express or implied obligation to repay the amount.
• A transaction (whatever its terms or forms) which in substance effects a loan of money.

If credit is provided on a credit card (defined at section 130ZK(8)) in respect of card transactions, the credit is to be treated as a separate loan for each transaction. 

In the case of a gift or loan received from certain types of entities, you must also record the names of all trustees, members of the board or executive committee (as the case may be). For more information, refer to sections 130ZJ and 130ZK.

Gifts and loans of $5,000 (indexed) or less are not required to be disclosed in a return; however, you must still maintain the required records.

Providing evidence

The Electoral Commissioner has powers to require a person to produce documents or appear at a specified time and place to provide evidence. The Electoral Commissioner will issue the person with a formal notice if the person is required to produce documents or give evidence. There is a $5,000 maximum penalty for failing to comply with a notice or providing false or misleading evidence.

Refer to section 130ZZB of the Electoral Act for further information.

Reporting political expenditure (candidates, groups and parties)

For more information, refer to Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985.

What is political expenditure?

Political expenditure is defined in section 130A and regulation 18A of the Electoral Regulations 2009. Political expenditure includes the public expression of views on a political party, a member of parliament, a candidate, or an issue in an election.

For more information, refer to our political expenditure guide on our funding and disclosure guides page.

What must be reported

Political expenditure during capped expenditure period

If a candidate, group, or registered political party incurs more than $5,000 (indexed) of political expenditure during the capped expenditure period, they must lodge a capped expenditure period return. The return must be lodged within 60 days after polling day (section 130ZQ).

If a candidate, group, or party has lodged a certificate to participate in the public funding scheme, they are subject to limits on their political expenditure during the capped expenditure period. The capped expenditure period return will be used by the Electoral Commissioner to determine whether the participant has adhered to their applicable expenditure cap and to determine the amount of public funding payable. 

Annual political expenditure

If a person incurs, by their own authority, more than $5,000 (indexed) of political expenditure during a financial year, they must lodge an annual political expenditure return.

This return must be lodged within 12 weeks after the end of the financial year. Members of Parliament and the Crown are exempt from lodging this return (section 130ZR).

Audit certificates

You are required to provide an audit certificate for every return lodged with the Electoral Commissioner (section 130ZV).

You may apply for a waiver of the requirement to provide an audit certificate if the costs of compliance would be unreasonable.

Offences

Failing to lodge a return within the legislated timeframe is an offence. The maximum penalty for a registered political party agent is $10,000. For any other person, the maximum penalty is $5,000.

Lodging a return which a person knows is false or misleading in a material particular is an offence for which the maximum penalty is $10,000.

For more information, refer to section 130ZZE of the Electoral Act.

Third-party returns

For more information, refer to Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985.

Lodging returns

The agent is responsible for lodging returns on behalf of a registered political party or third party. More information can be found on our agents page.

Note: if a third party who is also an associated entity has lodged an associated entity return for a period, they are not required to lodge a third-party return for that same period (section 130ZP(4)).

Half-yearly

Registered political parties and third parties must lodge half-yearly returns within 30 days of the end of each half-yearly period.

During an election

During a general election, there are additional return lodgement obligations. In the year of a general election, registered political parties and third parties must lodge a return for the month of January by 5 February. Following this are the high-frequency lodgements: returns must be lodged for every 7 day period until 30 days after polling day. These returns must be lodged within 5 days of the end of each 7 day period.

Information required

Returns must set out the following information:

• Total amount received by the entity during the period (total receipts).
• Details of amounts received of more than $5,000 (indexed).
• Total outstanding debt as at the end of the period.
• Details of each debt of more than $5,000 (indexed).

Refer to sections 130ZN (political party returns) and 130ZP (third party returns) for more information.

Receipts

Amounts received include all monies received from all sources including:

• Gifts of money or goods.
• Gifts in kind of goods or services.
• Membership subscriptions.
• Loans obtained.
• Earnings from assets or investments.
• Proceeds from the sale of assets.
• Payments from Commonwealth or State authorities (including Special Assistance Funding payments).

Transfers between a registered political party and its state or federal counterparts must be included as they are separate entities for reporting purposes.

Two or more amounts of more than $200 received from the same person during the financial year will be treated as one amount (sections 130ZN(4), and 130ZP(3)).

Debts

Outstanding debts can include:

• Loans
• Overdrafts
• Unpaid accounts
• Unremitted taxes.

Prescribed particulars

Regulation 23 of the Electoral Regulations 2009 prescribes additional details which are required to be provided in a return for amounts received from or owed to a trust, company or an association. The names of all trustees, members of the board or executive committee must be provided.  In the case of a company donor, there is an additional obligation to provide the names of any related bodies corporate. For more information, please refer to our prescribed particulars guide (PDF, 132KB).

Audit certificates

An audit certificate must be provided for every return lodged with the Electoral Commissioner (section 130ZV).

For returns relating to the designated period of an election, there are only 2 bulk audit certificates required:

• The first audit certificate must be lodged 7 days before polling day to cover all returns lodged up to that date.
• The second audit certificate will cover all the remaining returns. The second audit certificate must be lodged on the day the last high-frequency return is due.

You may apply for a waiver of the requirement to provide an audit certificate if:

• The return is a nil return.
• The costs of compliance with the audit certificate requirement would be unreasonable.

Offences

Failing to lodge a return within the legislated timeframe is an offence. The maximum penalty for a registered political party agent is $10,000. For any other person, the maximum penalty is $5,000.

Lodging a return which a person knows is false or misleading in a material particular is an offence for which the maximum penalty is $10,000.

For more information, refer to section 130ZZE of the Electoral Act.

Record keeping

In addition to return lodgement obligations, there are also record-keeping obligations. See the records and evidence section above for more information.

Special assistance funding is a form of public funding under Division 5 of the Electoral Act 1985. 

It is available to be paid as a half yearly entitlement to eligible registered political parties who claim reimbursement of administrative expenditure.

Registered political parties must meet the following eligibility criteria to receive special assistance funding:

• At least 1 member of the party must have been a member of the Parliament of South Australia for all or part of the half-yearly period; and
• The party must have been a registered political party on polling day for the last preceding general election and continued to be registered for all of the half-yearly period; and
• The agent of the party submitted a valid claim to the Electoral Commissioner setting out the administrative expenditure incurred by the party during that half-yearly period.

Special assistance funding claims under Division 5 are limited to the following maximum amounts:

• For a party with 5 or fewer members of Parliament - $35,000 (indexed)
• For a party with 6 or more members of Parliament - $60,000 (indexed)

Since Part 13A came into effect, the Electoral Commissioner has paid the amounts shown in the table below for special assistance funding claims.

*	deregistered 25 August 2022
**	deregistered 28 November 2019
^	deregistered 27 June 2017 (n.b. a new party called Family First Party Inc. was registered on 13 January 2022)
^^	deregistered 27 June 2019

 

One-off special assistance funding

Section 130UA was inserted into the Electoral Act 1985 on 9 June 2017 and expired on 31 August 2017. This section permitted eligible registered political parties to claim a one-off payment of special assistance funding for prescribed administrative expenditure for the purpose of complying with Part 13A of the Act.

Eligible registered political parties who wished to make a claim were required to submit a claim in writing to the Electoral Commissioner by 31 July 2017.  This section limited the claim to the following maximum amounts:

• For parties with 5 or fewer members of Parliament - $56,000
• For parties with 6 or more members of Parliament - $96,000

The Electoral Commissioner paid the amounts shown in the table below for one-off special assistance payment in 2017. These payments were in addition to any entitlements to half yearly payments of special assistance funding paid under Division 5 of the Act.

Party	Claim
Australian Labor Party	$96,000.00
Liberal Party	$96,000.00
The Greens	$10,013.79
Dignity Party	$43,861.44
Total	$245,875.23

The descriptions of terms in this glossary are for quick reference only. This glossary is not to be substituted for the formal definitions found within the legislation. Refer to Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985.

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ACNC registered entity
Any organisation that is registered under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 (Cth).

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Administrative expenditure
Administrative expenditure is defined under section 130A as:

• Any expenditure related to the administration, operation, or management of a registered political party (whether in relation to State activities of the party or otherwise); or
• The administrative or operational expenditure of a non-party member.

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Agent
Agent is defined as a person who is responsible for ensuring that a registered political party, candidate, group of candidates, third party, or associated entity complies with its funding and disclosure obligations.

An agent must:

• Be a natural person who is at least 18 years of age.
• Not have been convicted of a prescribed offence under:
  • Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985
  • Part 20 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, and
• Be formally appointed in accordance with the requirements of section 130G(3).

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Appointing person or body
The registered political party, candidate, group, or third party that appoints a person to act as its agent.

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Associated entity
An associated entity, as defined under section 130A, is an entity that has any of the following relationships with a registered political party:

• It is controlled by one or more registered political parties.
• It operates to a significant extent for the benefit of one or more registered political parties.
• It is a financial member of, or on whose behalf another person is a financial member of, a registered political party.
• It has voting rights in, or on whose behalf another person has voting rights in, a registered political party.

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Auditor
A person who:

• Has the necessary qualifications or experience; and
• Has not been a member of a registered political party at any time in the past 10 years.

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Campaign donations return
A report that must be lodged with the Electoral Commissioner by the agent of each entitled candidate or entitled group in an election, at the prescribed times and in a form approved by the Commissioner. 

The return must include:

• For donations or loans over $1,000 – prescribed details of each donation or loan received during the disclosure period.
• For other donations or loans – the total value received and the number of donors or lenders.

A return does not need to include details of a donation or loan if it was given to a candidate in a private capacity for personal use and is not used for election purposes.

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Capped expenditure period
The capped expenditure period is defined as:

• For a general election: from 1 July in the year before the election until 30 days after polling day.
• For all other elections: from the day the vacancy is announced by, or on behalf of, the Speaker of the House of Assembly until 30 days after polling day.

Applicable expenditure caps are set out in section 130Z of the Electoral Act 1985.

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CPI
Means the Consumer Price Index

All groups index for Adelaide; the All Groups Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Adelaide is published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and measures inflation — that is, how the overall cost of living for households in Adelaide changes over time.

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Designated participant
A designated participant is anyone who is formally allowed to take part in election funding and disclosure — this can be a political party, a candidate, a group of candidates, or a third party.

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Designated period

For a general election — the period starting on 1 January in the year of the election and ending 30 days after polling day; or

For any other election — the period starting on the day the vacancy is announced in the House of Assembly by (or on behalf of) the Speaker and ending 30 days after polling day.

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Disclosure period
The disclosure period in section 130ZF(5)(a) is the time frame in which donations or loans must be reported in a campaign donations return.

It varies depending on whether the person is a new candidate, an existing candidate, or an entitled group:

• New candidate
  • Starts: the earlier of
    • the day the person announced they would be a candidate, or
    • the day they were formally nominated.
  • Ends: 30 days after polling day for the election.
• Not a new candidate (stood in the previous election)
  • Starts: 30 days after polling day for the last election in which they were a candidate.
  • Ends: 30 days after polling day for the current election.
• Entitled group
  • Starts: the day the members of the group applied under section 58 to have their names grouped on the ballot paper.
  • Ends: 30 days after polling day for the election.

The disclosure period for all candidates (and groups) will end 30 days after polling day for the election.

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Disposition of property
Any conveyance, transfer, assignment, settlement, delivery, payment or other alienation of property.

It includes:

• the allotment of shares in a company.
• creating a trust in property.
• granting or creating a lease, mortgage, charge, easement, licence, power, partnership, or other interest in property.
• releasing, discharging, surrendering, forfeiting, or abandoning (at law or equity) a debt, contract, right of action, or interest in property.
• exercising a general power of appointment of property in favour of another person.
• any transaction intended to reduce the value of a person’s own property and increase the value of another’s property.

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Donation
A donation is anything of value given to a person, candidate, group, or party, without full payment in return (or for less than its real value).

It includes:

• Money, goods or property given without full payment in return
• Services provided for free or below cost (but not voluntary labour or unpaid professional services)
• Party membership or affiliation fees (over $250 per year)
• Transfers of property from a political party, party branch, or associated entity
• Payments for guarantees
• Payments to attend fundraising events

It does not include:

• Party membership fees of $250 or less per year
• Levies paid as part of party membership
• Public funding payments under the Electoral Act
• Electorate allowances, expenses or benefits set by the Remuneration Tribunal
• Parliamentary allowances and benefits under the Parliamentary Remuneration Act 1990
• Transfers from a political party to its nominated entity
• Free broadcasting services provided by non-commercial broadcasters
• Commercial payments (e.g. interest, dividends)
• Event/function payments that only cover actual costs (venue, food, drinks)

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Electoral donation
An electoral donation is money, goods, or property given to a political party, group, MP, candidate, or third party when it is meant to support election campaigns or political activities.

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Electoral loan
An electoral loan is any loan used to support election campaigns or political work. Even if it wasn’t originally meant for that, once the money is used for campaigning, it becomes an electoral loan.

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Eligible vote
Means a first preference vote on a formal ballot paper in an election.

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Entitled candidate
An independent candidate (not endorsed by a party) who is not already a sitting member of Parliament when the election is called.

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Entitled group
A group of independent candidates running together in an election.

• They cannot include any candidate endorsed by a registered political party.
• They also cannot include a candidate who was already a sitting member of Parliament when the election was called.

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Entitled registered political party
A political party that is formally registered under the Electoral Act but does not have any members who are sitting MPs.

This also excludes a party where, in relation to an election:

• one or more members were MPs at the time of the dissolution of Parliament (general election), or
• one or more members were MPs at the time of the vacancy that caused a by-election.

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Entity
An entity is any organisation, group, or trust.

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Expenditure caps
Limitations on political expenditure apply to:

• A registered political party
• A candidate
• A group; or
• A third party.

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Financial controller
The person in charge of an organisation’s financial records — this could be a company secretary, a trustee, or whoever manages the books.

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Financial institution
A body that provides financial services or financial products and is either:

• an Authorised Deposit-taking Institution (ADI), such as a bank, building society, or credit union; or
• another body prescribed by the regulations.

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Financial member
A person who either pays membership fees to a political party or is recognised as a financial member under the party’s rules.

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Foreign entity
Any person or organisation that meets one or more of the following:

• A body politic of a foreign country or part of a foreign country.
• A part of a body politic described above.
• A foreign public enterprise as defined in section 70.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
• A body (incorporated or unincorporated) that does not meet all these conditions:
  • Incorporated in Australia
  • Head office in Australia
  • Principal place of activity in Australia
• An individual who is none of the following:
  • An elector in Australia
  • An Australian citizen
  • An Australian resident
  • A New Zealand citizen holding a Subclass 444 (Special Category) visa (or its replacement if the subclass ceases to exist).

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Group
A group means 2 or more candidates who are nominated for election to the Legislative Council and who have applied under section 58 of the Electoral Act to have their names shown together in a column on the ballot paper.

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Loan
An advance of money, credit, or other financial help that must be repaid, except if it comes from a financial institution or from a political party to its own nominated entity.

Note: Loans from banks and similar institutions are not considered electoral loans.

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New candidate
A person standing for election who has not been a candidate in a previous election within a set time frame:

• House of Assembly election: not a candidate in the last 5 years
• Legislative Council election: not a candidate in the last 9 years

Refer to section 130ZF(5)(b) of the Electoral Act 1985.

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Nominated entity
An organisation listed on the Register of Nominated Entities as being linked to a registered political party.

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Non-party member
A Member of Parliament who does not belong to a registered political party.

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Political expenditure
Money spent to publicly promote views about parties, candidates, members of Parliament, election issues, political material, or election-related research.

It does not include: GST, MP allowances/benefits, administration or policy development costs, normal staffing costs, or any other category the law specifically excludes.

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Prescribed administrative expenditure
A one-off payment of administrative funding is available to certain non-party members and registered political parties to cover prescribed administrative expenditure incurred in complying with the Part 13A of the Electoral Act.

Eligibility:

1. Non-party members:
   • Must be a member of Parliament at the commencement of this section.
   • Their agent must submit a claim to the Electoral Commissioner detailing the prescribed administrative expenditure.
2. Registered political parties:
   • Must be entitled to administrative funding under section 130U and have received a half-yearly entitlement payment.
   • Their agent must submit a claim to the Electoral Commissioner detailing the prescribed administrative expenditure.

What counts as prescribed administrative expenditure?

• For non-party members: spending incurred before the prescribed date to comply with Part 13A (can be before or after commencement).
• For registered political parties: same as above but does not include expenditure already claimed under section 130U(1)(c) for a half-yearly entitlement to special assistance funding.

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Prohibited period
For an election, in relation to a recontesting participant, the prohibited period is the time frame that:

• Starts: at the beginning of the capped expenditure period for the participant in that election.
• Ends: 30 days after polling day for the election.

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Property
Includes money.

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Recontesting participant
For an election, a recontesting participant is an entitled registered political party, entitled candidate, or entitled group that chooses to be treated as a recontesting participant by lodging a certificate under section 130PF for that election.

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Register of nominated entities
A public list kept by the Electoral Commissioner that records:

• the name and address of each nominated entity,
• the political party it belongs to, and
• any other details required by regulation.

The register must be published on the Electoral Commission’s website.

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Registered industrial organisation
An organisation registered under the Fair Work Act 1994 or under similar workplace/industrial relations laws of the Commonwealth, another State, or a Territory.

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Registered political party
A political party registered under Part 6 of the Electoral Act 1985.

To qualify for registration, a party must be an eligible political party, which means it is either:

• a parliamentary party – a party with at least one member who is:
  • a Member of the Parliament of South Australia, or
  • a Senator for South Australia, or
  • a Member of the House of Representatives chosen in South Australia; or
• a political party (not a parliamentary party) that has at least 200 members who are enrolled electors.

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Regulated designated participant
A regulated designated participant is any of the following:

• An entitled registered political party
• An entitled candidate
• An entitled group
• A third party (excluding an ACNC registered entity)

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Relevant entity
A relevant entity is any of the following:

• A registered political party
• An associated entity
• A third party (any person or organisation that is not a political party but is involved in activities relevant to the election).

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State campaign account
A separate bank account that a registered political party, candidate, group, or certain third parties must use solely for State election funds, recorded in a public register maintained by the Electoral Commissioner.

For more information refer to sections 130K, 130L and 130M of the Electoral Act 1985.

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State electoral purposes
Activities related to State elections, but not federal or local government elections.

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Third party
A third party is any person or organisation that is not:

• A Member of Parliament (House of Assembly or Legislative Council)
• The Crown, including public sector agencies
• A registered political party, group, or candidate
• A person engaged in a broadcasting or datacasting service
• The publisher of a journal, including online journals

who either:

• Incurs or intends to incur more than $10,000 in political expenditure during the designated period for an election, or
• Incurred more than $10,000 in political expenditure during the designated period for the last preceding general election.

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Total primary vote
The sum of all valid votes cast in favour of all candidates in an election for a particular electoral district.