Aust'n PM donates 1 mln AUD to his party's election campaign: report

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull donated one million Australian dollars (750,000 U.S dollars) to his own political party during the marathon eight-week federal election campaign, local media revealed on Friday.

News Corp reported that the prime minister dove into his own pockets to help fund the campaign, as his party was struggling to pay for television ads over the course of one of the longest campaigns in Australia's history.

The donation was kept a secret from the public, with only the Liberal Party's federal director and federal treasurer knowing about the donation, while it was said to be a donation and not a loan.

The unprecedented sum of money was used to fund advertising in the back half of the election, and came about after it was revealed the Liberals were struggling to match the air time bought by the opposition Labor Party - which is union funded.

Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer said any donations were willingly made by the prime minister, while a spokesperson for the prime minister's office told News Corp that "donations to the Liberal Party are disclosed in accordance with the requirements of the Electoral Act."

While the Turnbull office did not confirm nor deny the payment, all donations to political parties in the lead-up to the election will be made public in February next near.

Labor's Transport spokesperson Anthony Albanese told the Nine Network on Friday that it would be nice to have someone with a "lazy million dollars" to help boost Labor's efforts at the election.

"I wish we had someone who had a lazy million dollars sitting in the corner that could just plonk into the campaign. We don't have it," Albanese said on Friday.

It's not unusual for large donations to filter through to political parties from high-profile supporters, but a personal donation from a prime minister is considered unprecedented.

One source within the Liberal Party told News Corp the coalition's lacklustre fundraising effort was exacerbated by the effect of its poor superannuation policy.

The source said that retirees, who usually donate to political parties, decided not to in order to send a message.

"To say (the super policy) had no impact is ludicrous. Donations dried up, there was tremendous anger," the source said.

The election was decided eight days after voters went to the polls, with the opposition Labor Party forcing a much closer contest than was first anticipated. Endit