This is edition 2026/083 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Hi all,
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Following the money in 2026
Bryce Edwards
- 💰 Political parties in New Zealand declared $14.7 million in donations for 2025, a 40% increase and the largest non-election-year total under current rules.
- ⏳ The surge is notable because it’s not an election year, suggesting fundraising is intensifying early in the political cycle.
- 📊 Previous analysis warned that wealthy interests were already gaining influence, and the 2025 data appears to reinforce and deepen that trend.
- 🏛️ National dominated fundraising with $6.28M, more than the entire opposition combined, while coalition parties together raised over $10M.
- ⚖️ The funding gap between government and opposition widened, reaching a ratio of 2.29:1 and growing by about $1.85M in a single year.
- 📈 This disparity is described as structural, not just due to incumbency, indicating a long-term imbalance in political funding.
- 🟡 The ACT Party overtook Labour as the second-best-funded party, marking a significant symbolic and financial shift.
- 🧾 ACT’s funding is highly concentrated among wealthy donors, with large average contributions and 40% of funds coming from just ten donors.
- 👥 The number of $50,000+ donors jumped from 11 to 28, contributing about $3.1M—over 20% of all donations.
- 🏢 Major donors are largely ultra-wealthy individuals and business elites across sectors like tech, property, and finance.
- ⚖️ The core concern is not donor intent but influence, as large contributions carry disproportionate political weight compared to ordinary citizens.
- 🔍 Further analysis is promised, with upcoming sections exploring major donors, funding patterns, and systemic implications.
