About PoliticianTrades.au
Bringing transparency to Australian politics through accessible data on politician share trading.
Our Mission
At PoliticianTrades.au, we believe that transparency in government is essential for a healthy democracy. Our mission is to provide Australian citizens with clear, accessible information about the financial activities of their elected representatives, specifically focussing on their share trading activities.
When politicians trade shares whilst having access to privileged information or the ability to influence policy, it raises important questions about potential conflicts of interest.
The Problem with Official Disclosures
While Australia has a formal system for politicians to disclose their financial interests through the Register of Members' Interests, the current implementation falls short in several important ways:
Poor Document Quality
Many politicians upload PDFs that are blurry, poorly scanned, or in non-selectable formats. This makes it difficult for the public to search, analyse, or extract meaningful information from these disclosures.
Incomplete Disclosures
Despite parliamentary requirements to disclose the financial interests of spouses and dependents, some politicians simply don't provide this information or provide it in a limited manner. This creates significant gaps in understanding potential conflicts of interest.
Complex Ownership Structures
Financial interests are sometimes held through trusts, managed funds, or other complex structures that obscure the actual investments. While some politicians may declare "no direct shareholdings," they may still benefit from financial instruments through these structures.
At PoliticianTrades.au, we work to overcome these obstacles by extracting, organising, and presenting this data in a clear, searchable format that helps everyday Australians understand the financial activities of their elected representatives.
About Us
PoliticianTrades.au is a service of AussieQuant, an organisation dedicated to bringing data transparency to Australian finance and politics.
We are independent and non-partisan. Our goal is simply to provide factual information that helps Australians better understand the financial activities of their elected representatives.
Contact Us
Have questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you.
Email us at: aussiequant@gmail.com