The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) recently found itself at the center of a misinformation storm after claims surfaced alleging the AEC received a staggering $48 million from the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU). These claims, widely disseminated on social media, have been debunked as false. In reality, the payments in question came from Ableshore Pty Ltd, a labour-hire subsidiary of mining giant Glencore, and were directed to the CFMEU rather than the AEC.
On March 21, 2025, social media posts including a screenshot from the AEC's Transparency Register indicated that the AEC had received millions from the powerful union. However, AEC officials clarified that their funding primarily stems from the federal government, along with some smaller revenue streams like fines for not voting and fees from running industrial ballots.
According to an AEC spokesperson, "Given the amounts are disclosed as ‘Other Receipts’, this means that the CFMEU believe the amounts disclosed do not meet the definition of a donation/gift under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918." The amounts in question actually reflected two entries: $8,732,304 from 2021-22 and $39,430,146 from 2022-23, relating to the CFMEU rather than the AEC.
This misunderstanding arose during a discussion in May 2024, when AEC Commissioner Tom Rogers fielded questions about the payments during Senate estimates. Senator Malcolm Roberts raised concerns about the alleged $48 million moving from a coal company through the CFMEU to the Labor Party, he sought clarification on how such funds are recorded. Rogers indicated he had not seen the return in question but assured, "I’m not aware that any of that breaches the existing legislation."
While misinformation campaigning remains a challenge, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers weighed in on this issue as well. He previously expressed concerns regarding Meta’s decision to scrap its US-based fact-checking program in early January 2025, labeling it as "a very damaging development for our democracy." Chalmers stated, "It can be damaging for people’s mental health to get the wrong information on social media, and so of course we are concerned about that.”
However, recent developments indicate that the Australian government needn’t worry too much about fact-checking in their country. Just this week, Meta expressed its commitment to continue supporting fact-checking efforts specifically for the upcoming federal election scheduled for mid-May 2025. The company announced that it would be collaborating with independent fact-checking entities such as Agence France-Presse (AFP) and the Australian Associated Press (AAP) in an effort to actively review content through its platforms.
This initiative is particularly timely, as Meta has flagged concerns about the internet misinformation that can circulate during electoral periods. For every post deemed to contain misinformation—defined as content that could incite violence or interfere with voting—warnings will be issued, and the visibility of such posts will be intentionally reduced across the platform. Previous reports indicated that conflicting content tagged by fact-checkers suffered from a stark reduction in engagement, including a 95% decline in clicks.
Furthermore, Meta will be activating its "voter empowerment products" in cooperation with the AEC, promoting informed engagement among Australian citizens. Users of Meta’s platforms will be encouraged to participate in the electoral process with prompts guiding them on when and where to vote, connecting them with verified information from the AEC.
The interplay of social media platforms like Meta with political processes continues to evolve, especially in light of the recent AEC false claims incident. Looking ahead to the upcoming election, the integrity of information shared on these platforms is vital for maintaining public trust and upholding a fair democratic process.
In summary, as the AEC tackles misinformation that wrongly accused them of receiving inflated sums from the CFMEU, Australian authorities can find some reassurance in Meta’s renewed focus on fact-checking and shared responsibility during the electoral process. Both instances reflect the critical importance of accurate information dissemination and community engagement in maintaining the integrity of democratic proceedings.
