Administration Fund

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission administers the Administration Fund for registered parties and House of Assembly members. Eligible registered parties (for their endorsed members) and independent House of Assembly members may claim quarterly payments, to receive publicly funded reimbursement of administrative expenditure they incurred. The Administration Fund will come into effect on 1 July 2025 with the introduction of the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023.

What can be claimed

Administrative expenditure is expenditure that has been incurred for administrative or operating expenses. It can include expenditure that a registered party or House of Assembly member incurred:

for their administration or management of operational activities
for conferences, seminars or meetings where policies are being created or discussed
providing information to the public about themselves
providing information to registered party members or supporters, or the supporters of independent House of Assembly members
auditing their financial accounts
on equipment and training to ensure compliance with the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023
on reasonable remuneration for their staff undertaking activities in this list
on reasonable expenditure for equipment or vehicles used for undertaking activities in this list
on office accommodation and equipment for staff.

House of Assembly administrative expenditure does not include:

electoral expenditure
expenditure that a member may claim as a parliamentary allowance
expenditure incurred substantially for operations or activities relating to elections outside Tasmania.

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission has also issued these guidelines to clarify what may be included as, or in, administrative expenditure claims:

Who is eligible to claim

Registered parties and independent House of Assembly members may be eligible to claim from the Administrative Fund. Eligibility is based on whether the claimant was a registered party or candidate on polling day for the previous election, and whether they continue to be registered as a party or member for the quarter being claimed. Full eligibility details are in the Tasmanian Electoral Commission’s House of Assembly funding policy.

How to claim

Quarterly payments to eligible registered parties and independent House of Assembly members are not made automatically – a claim must be submitted to the Tasmanian Electoral Commission for each quarter in which administrative expenditure is incurred. For registered parties, their claim must be made by their party agent. House of Assembly members must make their own claims.

A claim must be made using the Administration Fund quarterly payment claim form, which includes a statutory declaration. The following information must be disclosed for each item of expenditure, and included alongside the claim form when it is submitted to the Tasmanian Electoral Commission:

the date the expenditure was incurred
the cost of the expenditure
the name of the supplier or service provider of the expenditure
the invoice or receipt number
a description of the product or service provided, and
a copy of the invoice, receipt or logbook entry for the expenditure.

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission provides a template for claimants to use, which will help them include the correct information for each item of expenditure.

When to claim

The Administration Fund quarterly payment claim form and supporting documentation must be lodged with the Tasmanian Electoral Commission within 3 months of the end of the quarter for which the claim is being made.

Payments

Payments from the Administrative Fund to reimburse administrative expenditure incurred are either the cost of the expenditure, or the maximum claimable amount – whichever is less. The maximum claimable amount is:

Number of House of Assembly members	For quarters in the 2025 calendar year	For quarters in the 2026 calendar year*
1 (either endorsed or independent)	$11,100	$11,600
2-5	$22,100	$23,100
6+	$37,700	$39,400

_{* Funding limits are adjusted for inflation at the end of each calendar year, then applied to payable claims made for the next calendar year.}

All payments are made by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Quarterly payments are made by the Tasmanian Electoral Commission within 30 days of all required information being received (including additional evidence if required by the Commission).

Note: payments of eligible claims cannot be paid if a registered party or independent House of Assembly member has a non-compliant or outstanding disclosure of the following:

a donation declaration
an Assembly election campaign return, or
a Council election campaign return.

How to make an advance claim

Eligible registered parties and independent House of Assembly members may claim a quarterly advance payment from the Administration Fund. This payment is equal to the maximum total amount the claimant could be entitled to for the quarter (see above). Quarterly advance payments are made by the Tasmanian Electoral Commission on the first business day of each quarter.

A claim for a quarterly advance payment must be lodged with the Tasmanian Electoral Commission at least 2 weeks before the beginning of the relevant quarter, using the Administration Fund quarterly advance payment claim form.

A registered party or independent Assembly member that received a quarterly advance payment must still lodge an Administration Fund quarterly payment claim form (with supporting documentation) after the end of the quarter. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission will assess any difference between the advance payment and actual expenditure incurred. If the advance payment was more than the actual expenditure amount, the excess must be repaid to the Commission.

All claims for payment from the Administration Fund are published to the Tasmanian Electoral Commission’s website.

Learn more about the Administration Fund by watching this pre-recorded webinar.

Disclosure and funding