One Nation is charging donors $3,000 for a private, four-hour cocktail-dress fundraiser in central Sydney next Thursday, requiring attendees to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prevents them from revealing identities, conversations, or activities.
The NDA-Backed Sydney Fundraising Dinner
Invitations for the invite-only evening show guests will meet with Pauline Hanson, national director James Ashby, federal MP Barnaby Joyce, federal chief of staff Chris Taylor, and New South Wales leader Mike Newman. A now defunct webpage for the event indicated that registered attendees would receive a text message with the exact location just one hour before the start time. The evening features a cocktail and canapé service throughout the evening as the sun sets alongside a live auction.
Donors must abide by an agreement stating they will not disclose information about what occurs at the event. The document specifies that attendees must not provide information, photographs, recordings, or comments to journalists, media organisations, bloggers, or other publishers. According to the text seen by Guardian Australia, these obligations continue after the event has concluded.
Did You Know? One Nation has disclosed $5,000 in reportable donations so far in the 2026-27 period across three donations for a fundraising dinner with Barnaby Joyce, according to NSW Electoral Commission records.
Transparency Concerns Ahead of the State Election
While fundraising dinners are common and frequently organised by the Labor and Liberal parties, senior sources from both major parties involved in running such events state that the use of non-disclosure agreements is unprecedented. Transparency International Australia chief executive Clancy Moore criticized the closed-door event, stating that charging guests while keeping them quiet creates serious concerns about transparency ahead of an important state election.
Christian Slattery, a senior campaigner at the Australian Democracy Network, added that Australians are rightly suspicious of exclusive cash-for-access events. By comparison, NSW Electoral Commission disclosures indicate that the NSW Labor party has raised $286,200 in reportable donations, while the NSW Liberals have raised $95,900 during the same period, with the individual threshold for a reportable donation sitting at $1,000.
Expert Insight: The introduction of binding non-disclosure agreements to political fundraising marks a worrying new step. While major parties routinely hold exclusive dinners, binding participants to silence that continues after the event restricts public scrutiny of potential political commitments made behind closed doors.
Polls place One Nation ahead of Coalition in vote
The fundraiser arrives during a major donations drive in New South Wales. A Sydney Morning Herald Resolve poll in September placed One Nation at 25% of the first-preference vote, ahead of the Coalition on 24% and behind Labor on 29%. Internal polling conducted by Labor suggests the party could pick up more than 20 seats in the state’s lower house.
In early September, the address of a three-course fundraising lunch with Hanson in Melbourne leaked to the media, allowing journalists to photograph arriving donors. Other high-profile fundraisers in the state have faced protests, clashes with supporters, and a heavy police presence. One Nation has also required state election candidates to sign non-disclosure agreements regarding their potential candidacy.
Donors pay three thousand dollars to attend Sydney dinner
What is the cost of attending the Sydney fundraising dinner?
Donors are being charged $3,000 to attend the four-hour, invite-only event in central Sydney next Thursday.
Who are the party figures scheduled to meet donors at the event?
Attendees are scheduled to meet Pauline Hanson, James Ashby, Barnaby Joyce, Chris Taylor, and Mike Newman.
How do One Nation’s NSW reportable donations compare to other parties?
One Nation has disclosed $5,000 in reportable donations for 2026-27, whereas NSW Labor has raised $286,200 and the NSW Liberals have raised $95,900.
How will the use of non-disclosure agreements at political fundraisers shape public expectations for transparency in future Australian elections?