Indian outsourcer becomes Aussie tech’s top political donor – Finance – Strategy – Telco/ISP

Indian outsourcing and computer software behemoth Tata Consultancy Expert services (TCS) was the biggest political donor from the technology sector very last year, bumping Macquarie Telecom from the best place with an practically $400,000 contribution.

Annual donations facts unveiled by the Australian Electoral Fee on Monday reveals that India’s biggest computer software products and services supplier contributed $395,609 to the important parties in 2018-19.

It is the very first time TCS has at any time created donations to an Australian political party, in accordance to the AEC’s publicly readily available figures.

The bulk of money, which occurred in an election year, flowed to the Liberal party ($227,seven-hundred), while the Labor party received $167,909.

The very first-time donation puts the company in the best fifteen firms for political contributions very last year. A complete of 294 firms donated $5000 or more in the 2018-19 monetary year.

TCS was adopted by Macquarie Telecom, which – along with Singtel Optus – has consistently topped the checklist in latest yrs as the technology sector’s most generous donor.

Macquarie Telecom gave $176,five hundred to the important parties very last year, somewhat decreased than its $194,270 donation in 2017-eighteen.

Its 2018-19 political contribution was break up between the Labor party ($127,five hundred), the Liberal party ($43,five hundred) and the Countrywide party ($5500).

Optus’ donations, like previous yrs, had been more or significantly less evenly break up between the two important parties in 2018-19, with $28,five hundred to Labor and $28,three hundred to the Liberals. A further $5500 was donated to the Nationals.

Vocus re-emerged on the checklist immediately after two yrs of absence, donating $42,550 to every single of the two important parties. It very last created a $50,000 donation to the Liberals in 2015-16.

Telstra also appeared on the checklist with a $23,000 contribution to the Liberal party. The telco has not donated to any Australia political party considering the fact that ahead of 2000.

iTnews makes no recommendation of any impropriety relating to these donors and the political parties included.

Major technology firms have largely been absent from the donations checklist considering the fact that 2015-16, with Google a single of the very last to make a donation back again in 2014-fifteen – its very first to an Australian political party.