Needs source-date, figure, and framing review before quoting externally. Align it by checking the source date, the main figures, whether it still supports the CivicGraph / ACT operating map, and what action it should send people to next.
The Influence Network
Lobby. Donate. Win contracts. Repeat. 0 entities operate across 2 or more influence vectors — political donations, government procurement, and foundation networks.
Source: AusTender procurement × AEC political donations × foundation giving × lobbying register. All cross-referenced by ABN.
The Triple Play — Top 20
The 20 entities with the highest revolving door score. These organisations combine the most influence vectors: political donations, government procurement, and foundation networks.
| # | Entity | Score | Contracts |
|---|
The ROI of Influence
Entities that both donate to political parties AND hold government contracts. The “ROI” column shows the ratio of contract dollars received per donation dollar spent. This is correlation, not causation — but the numbers tell a story.
| # | Entity | Donated | Contracts |
|---|
“ROI” is illustrative, not causal. Large corporations engage in political donations and government contracting as separate business activities. The ratio highlights the scale differential between political investment and public procurement outcomes.
By Entity Type
How revolving door entities break down by type. Corporate entities dominate procurement value, but charities and foundations also appear across multiple influence vectors.
How The Influence Cycle Works
Donate to political parties — often to multiple parties simultaneously.$0 from 0 revolving door entities.
Sit on foundation boards, lobby government, and build networks across the public-private divide. 0 entities span 3+ systems.
Win government contracts.$0 in public procurement from revolving door entities.
Each step is legal. Each dataset is public. CivicGraph cross-references AEC donations, AusTender contracts, the ACNC charity register, and foundation data — all linked by ABN — to reveal the system as a whole.
Methodology
Data source: This report uses the mv_revolving_door materialized view, which identifies entities present in 2 or more “influence systems”: government procurement (AusTender), political donations (AEC), and foundation/philanthropy networks (ACNC).
Revolving door score: A composite score based on presence across influence vectors, with bonus points for high donation volume (>$50K) and high contract frequency (>10 contracts). Higher scores indicate deeper cross-system engagement.
Matching: Entities are matched across datasets using Australian Business Number (ABN) as the primary key. This means entities without ABNs in donation records are excluded from cross-referencing.
ROI calculation: The “ROI” ratio (contract dollars per donation dollar) is illustrative only. It does not imply that donations cause contract awards. Many revolving door entities are large corporations for whom political engagement and government contracting are separate, routine business activities.
Correlation, not causation: This report identifies entities that participate simultaneously in political donations, government procurement, and foundation networks. It does not claim that participation in one system influences outcomes in another. The “influence network” label describes the structural pattern, not intent.
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