Donations to major parties and an ex-premier as a lobbyist: how datacentres play the political game in Australia
Source:
guardianTech
October 11, 2026 · 07:00
From the publisher
As governments face community backlash for fast-tracking developments, big tech’s financial contributions face renewed scrutinyGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastOn 14 June 2025, Anthony Albanese stood inside an enormous sphere of glass and steel, surrounded by 40,000 plants from around the world. His mind was firmly fixed on datacentres. The prime minister was in the Seattle headquarters of Amazon Web Services. He stood alongside the company’s chief executive, Matt Garman, who outlined a $20bn plan to build datacentres in Melbourne and Sydney.Speaking to a travelling press pack, Garman was emphatic that Australia was “incredibly important and a great market” for the world’s biggest datacentre company.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here…
About Australia
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Capital
Canberra
Region
East Asia & Pacific
Income level
High income
ISO code
AUS
Data:
World Bank
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