Glossary

Any expenditure related to the administration and operation of a registered political party.

An agent is a person who is responsible for ensuring a registered political party,  candidate, group of candidates, or a third party meets its funding and disclosure obligations.

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)). The prescribed offences are:

• An offence under Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985
• An offence under Part 20 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

An agent must be formally appointed. For more information about how agents are appointed, see appointing an agent.

An associated entity is defined under section 130A as an entity that has any of the following types of 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.

For general elections, the capped expenditure period starts on 1 July the year before an election and ends 30 days after polling day.

For all other elections, the capped expenditure period starts on the day the vacancy is announced by, or on behalf of, the Speaker in the House of Assembly and ends 30 days after polling day.

For a general election, the designated period starts on 1 January in an election year and ends 30 days after polling day.

For all other elections, the designated period starts on the day the vacancy is announced by, or on behalf of, the Speaker in the House of Assembly, and ends 30 days after polling day for that election.

The commencement of the disclosure period varies for different types of candidates:

• For a new candidate: the disclosure period will either start on the day they announce their intention to stand as a candidate for the election or on the day they nominate (whichever is earlier).
• For a candidate who is not a new candidate: their disclosure period commenced 30 days after polling day for the last preceding election in which they were a candidate.
• For a new candidate who is a member of parliament, chosen by both Houses of Parliament to fill a casual vacancy, their disclosure period commenced on the day they were chosen to be a member of parliament.
• For a group of candidates, their disclosure period commences on the day they lodge their section 58 application to be grouped on the ballot paper.

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

The financial controller of an entity is:

• The secretary of the company (if the entity is a company).
• The trustee (if the entity is a trust).
• The person responsible for maintaining the financial records of the entity (if none of the above applies).

A person who pays an annual subscription to a party, or is treated by a party as a financial member.

Any disposition of property, including the provision of a service, made by a person to another person for inadequate or no consideration. A gift does not include:

• A membership subscription paid by a person to a political party.
• A compulsory levy paid to a political party.
• A public election funding or special assistance funding payment under Division 4 or 5 of Part 13A.

For more information on the definition of a gift, see section 130A of the Electoral Act 1985.

Two or more candidates in a Legislative Council election who have applied to have their names grouped together on the ballot paper under section 58.

You are a new candidate if:

• you were not a candidate in an earlier election for a House of Assembly election any time in the past 5 years before polling day, or
• you were not a candidate in an earlier election for a Legislative Council election any time in the past 9 years before polling day.

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

Political expenditure is defined in section 130A of the Electoral Act 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 guides page.

Administrative expenditure incurred by a registered political party for the purpose of complying with Part 13A that is in excess of administrative expenditure incurred by the party in relation to which a payment of a half-yearly entitlement to special assistance funding has been paid.

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

A relevant entity is any of the following:

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

For more information, refer to section 130A.

A separate account that is maintained for state electoral purposes under Part 13A of the Electoral Act. For more information refer to sections 130K, 130L, 130M and 130N.

A person who:

• intends to, or does in fact, incur more than $10,000 in political expenditure during the designated period in relation to an election, or
• incurred more than $10,000 in political expenditure during the designated period of the last preceding general election (excluding the 2018 state election).

The following are excluded from the definition of a third party:

• Members of parliament.
• The Crown.
• Registered political parties.
• Candidates or groups in an election.
• Those in broadcasting services.
• Publishers of journals.

For more information, see section 130A of the Electoral Act 1985.