The rightwing lobby group Advance will court donations from deceased estates with the blessing of former prime ministerTony Abbottas part of its latest efforts to fundraise for its campaign war chest.
Advancetargeted the Greensat the latest federal election, claiming success after the minor party lost three lower house seats, including one held by former leader Adam Bandt.
While Advance’s claims of campaign success have been disputed by some, includingwithin the Liberal party, the controversial outfit is looking to widen its source of donations to include bequests in a “generational” fight for Australia’s “freedom, prosperity and security”.
Advance released its 24-page report on the 2025 election in an email to supporters on Friday evening, detailing its messaging and strategy to undermine Labor and the Greens’ votes at the polls.
Its report claimed 52,529 donations were made to the group in the year leading up to election day, totalling approximately $13.8m. Of that amount, $10.6m went to the anti-Greens campaign, while $3.2m went to messaging against Anthony Albanese, the report said.
The Australian Electoral Commission will release official spending figures for the federal election campaign in October – six months after the May 2025 election date.
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But Advance has no intentions of fading into the background until Australians next go to voting booths.
The group, bankrolled by$15.6m in donationsduring the 2023-24 financial year, has created an offshoot, Advance Generations, to allow “generous donors and supporters the chance to leave a gift to Advance in their will”.
“The election is over, but the fight for Australia’s freedom, prosperity and security will take generations. That is why we started Advance Generations,” the group’s campaign report said.
Abbott, a longtime supporter and board member for Advance, also offered his own testimonial in the report: “Supporting Advance Generations is a very good way to protect the values and country that we cherish for the next generation.”
During the election, Advance’s campaigns attacked the Greens, renewable energy and net zero targets, as well immigration levels.
Since 3 May, Advance’s primary campaigns have centred around stopping immigration and endingWelcome to Country ceremonies.
In an email to supporters on Wednesday, the rightwing group encouraged followers to “speak up and take on” the ceremonies, criticising them as a “tool to indoctrinate” children.
“And if you and I don’t stop it, they’ll go further,” the email said.
The creation of Advance Generations might be new, but there are familiar names involved.
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According to Australian Securities and Investments Commission records, Advance director and former ACT Liberal politician Vicki Dunne sits as a director on the donations offshoot.
Dunne is joined by longtime donors former fund manager Simon Fenwick and businessman Maurice Newman as directors of the group.
Advance Generations’s website is registered under Whitestone Strategic – thesecretive conservative campaign firm Guardian Australia revealedas being behind the marketing and design work for Advance’s campaign against an Indigenous voice to parliament.
Advance’s election efforts were not praised by all. Weeks after polling day,several senior Liberal sourcestold Guardian Australia the rightwing advocacy group made “no difference at all” to the election result.
A former Liberal MP told Guardian Australia the party would ultimately realise the group was not a sustainable campaign affiliate.
“They are taking a lot of money from a lot of people who are being hoodwinked,” they said. “They are not spending it [effectively], and what they spend it on is high-profile, low-impact campaigns that splinter our electoral coalition.”
Advance’s director, Matthew Sheahan, shot back at the claims, accusing “bed-wetting anonymous Liberals” of “looking to blame everyone but themselves”.
“The truth is that Advance does not exist to get hopeless Liberals elected, it instead campaigns to promote and defend Australia’s freedom, security and prosperity.”
In response to questions to a related story, a spokesperson for Advance said the group spent $7m on its anti-Greens campaign, including $3m during the election period on target seats.
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