Both major parties managed to bolster their coffers considerably ahead of the federal and ACT elections this year, new data from Elections ACT shows.
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ACT Labor managed to raise $1.3 million in 2015-16 through big donations from the unions and its investment vehicle, the 1973 Foundation.
The Canberra Liberals were just shy of that figure, receiving $1.1 million, with significant gifts of money from the trust of major Liberal donor Paul Marks and the party's Victorian branch, which gave $15,000.
Elections ACT released its annual returns on Wednesday, which summarises receipts, gifts, payments and debts to each political party for last financial year.
Most of the donations appear to have already been disclosed, but the returns give a deeper insight into the finances of each party.
The total receipts for the Canberra Liberals was $1,154,624, made up largely of gifts of money, and other receipts.
The party continued to hold debts of more than $300,000, and made more than $1 million in payments last financial year.
It received $30,000 from the investment trust of Liberal donor Paul Marks.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Australia paid for a delegation led by Speaker Vicki Dunne, to the tune of $20,280, which was considered and cleared in an ethics review last year.
The Canberra Liberals, like Labor, received money from developers, including Amalgamated Property Group ($5400), Geocon ($4390), Geocon's managing director Nick Georgalis ($1957), and Sydney developers Merc Shopping Town Pty Ltd, Toplace, J&M Nassif Property Group and Statewide Planning, who all made $5000 donations.
CMAX Advisory, a consultancy firm, gave a gift of $8,730, and the Cogito Group, an IT security company, gave $8495.
Total receipts for ACT Labor were $1.3 million, and its debts blew out to $477,474, the majority of which was due to loans from its investment vehicle, the 1973 Foundation.
Unions donated a combined $84,000 in the year, the biggest contributors being the Community and Public Sector Union, $40,000, and the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, $12,700 (plus a $7800 gift in kind, presumably use of space for meetings).
The party's Labor Club group largely donated only free use of facilities, according to the returns, valued at $19,000. Other clubs donated smaller amounts.
The Labor Party relies heavily on the 1973 Foundation, an organisation it set up in 2010 with the help of Labor Club money. The 1973 Foundation has a Sydney commercial building, from which it gets rent. It gave $455,000 to Labor in the 12 months, plus a $81,000 "gift in kind" whose nature is not detailed.
The party also received about $27,000 from developers, the largest amounts from the Molonglo group ($4500) and SHL Developments ($4600, including a gift in kind). SHL is building in Campbell and bought at auction a prime block in the city, where the Currong and Allawah units are being demolished.
Former Labor deputy chief minister David Lamont's Dowse also donated $2270 to the party. Mr Lamont half owns the company, which was caught up in controversy earlier this year over its employment of the husband of government minister Meegan Fitzharris, and its involvement in the Manuka Oval redevelopment bid.
The Dexar Group, the company which Chief Minister Andrew Barr controversially endorsed in a video message, donated $2300.
Communications company Coordinate, which works for casino owner Aquis, donated $1500 to Labor.
