July 22, 2026 — 4:45pmLabor is asking lobbyists to pay $1000 to see Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s band play on the sidelines of Labor’s national conference, at which the party will rake in millions from firms who want to have a say on the government’s policies.A band led by Burke, a music buff who is also the arts minister, was advertised as playing at a secret location in Adelaide on Wednesday night, which this masthead confirmed was the Hotel Metropolitan.Tony Burke on guitar and Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh singing in the Labor Party caucus room in the band Left Right Out in 2022.Labor staffers and MPs must pay a small fee to see Burke on the guitar, but corporates who are at the party conference to network with MPs will pay $1000 for the privilege, according to an invitation to the event.“Featuring Left Right Out – federal parliament’s best (and only) band, led by Minister Tony Burke,” an invite for the event reads.“Venue details to be provided upon RSVP.”Burke’s band includes a revolving line-up of MPs and staffers. The invite shows MPs Mary Doyle, Libby Coker, Pat Gorman, Matt Keogh, and former MP Graham Perrett.Proceeds from the event will flow to Labor MPs from South Australia, including Louise Miller-Frost and Claire Clutterham.By comparison, a premium VIP ticket for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Australia in 2024 cost $1250, which secured Swifties a souvenir tote bag and a postcard.The fundraising gig is one of the more creative examples of Labor’s slick fundraising machine. The $1000 price tag displays the lengths that certain less-influential lobbyists will go to curry favour, and underlines the solidarity among Labor-aligned lobbyists to support the movement.Drinks retailer Endeavour is hosting a drinks event, lobbyist Hawker Britton is hosting the speed-dating events, and Macquarie Bank is also hosting events surrounding the conference.Senior Coalition figures who this week spoke to this masthead lamented that Labor’s donor machine was more effective than their own party’s methods of drawing cash from the corporate world.Fundraising laws that would have limited donations were meant to kick in this year. The Farrer byelection and the difficulty for the AEC in administering the new system meant the laws were delayed by six months, giving the major parties and One Nation more time to solicit donations.Dozens of lobbyists and staff from banks, resources firms, gambling outfits and other firms are in Adelaide for three days of events offering them face time with ministers at “speed-dating” events where each person gets a short amount of time with about eight different ministers.On Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will headline a closed-door lunch with paid-up members of Labor’s donors’ club. Treasurer Jim Chalmers will appear at Friday’s lunch.The Liberal and National parties have donor outfits set up for the same purpose, reflecting a long-standing practice of soliciting funds to pay for election campaigns.Despite the arms race, Australia rates very highly on international rankings on corruption in politics. But integrity campaigners and an increasing number of MPs, including teals, have turned integrity in politics into a topline issue.Last term, Labor tightened the rules and created a $50,000 cap on donations, stopping a repeat of previous elections when Clive Palmer pumped tens of millions of dollars into advertising.Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.From our partners