⚙️ Political Gadgets News | Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Today’s Political Gadgets digest covers: Register of Interests: Ellie Whiteaker (WA) — interests updated; Federal contracts: $23,354,902 awarded; largest to ALLSHELTER PTY LTD ($4,826,888); Parliament: not sitting; MP expenses: Tony Pasin (Barker, Lib) — $831,229 over 4 quarters.
Today’s digest includes:
- Register of Interests: Ellie Whiteaker (WA) — interests updated
- Federal contracts: $23,354,902 awarded; largest to ALLSHELTER PTY LTD ($4,826,888)
- Parliament: not sitting
- MP expenses: Tony Pasin (Barker, Lib) — $831,229 over 4 quarters
- Political advertising: Google $19,200 (YTD $1,520,250); Facebook $93,552 (YTD $642,607)
Register of Interests Update — Whiteaker, Ellie
Western Australia
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | Real Estate | Canberra residence, Griffith ACT |
| Self | Liabilities | Mortgage on Canberra residence, Beyond Bank |
| Self | Sponsored Travel Or Hospitality | Pilbara Familiarisation Tour, accomodation, flights and meals – Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA. |
Deletions
None
Register of Interests Update — Sam Rae
Hawke, Victoria
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | 6. Liabilities | Mortgage, ANZ |
| Spouse/Partner | 6. Liabilities | Mortgage, ANZ |
Deletions
None
Defence Awards Lake Cargelligo Firm $4.8m Shelter Contract
The Department of Defence has awarded Allshelter Pty Ltd a contract worth $4.8 million for the supply of temporary shelters, under a limited tender citing technical reasons. The three-month contract, running from April to late June 2026, represents the largest procurement announced on 28 April.
Allshelter is a family-owned Australian manufacturer established in 1999 by the Reddel family, operating facilities in Lake Cargelligo, Lawson, and Harristown. The company specializes in engineered fabric shelter systems featuring heavy-duty polyethylene fabric tensioned over curved steel frameworks. Its products serve mining, construction, defence, aviation, and industrial sectors, with major clients including Rio Tinto, BHP, and John Holland. The company's shelters are designed to withstand cyclonic winds exceeding 300 kilometres per hour and carry ISO certification with a 10-year warranty.
Temporary shelters in military contexts provide rapidly deployable accommodation and operational space for personnel, equipment storage, command posts, and field operations. The structures are relocatable and modular, suited to remote deployments and harsh conditions. Australia announced in April 2026 it would invest approximately $425 billion in defence capabilities over the next decade, reflecting increased strategic focus on operational readiness and self-reliance in the Indo-Pacific region.
Sources: linkedin.com; allshelter.com.au; top4.com.au; fortunebusinessinsights.com; usni.org; defence.gov.au [link]
All tenders
Fed govt contracts given today came to $23,354,902. The winner is ALLSHELTER PTY LTD ($4,826,888) [link]
Consultant Tenders
$95,667,007 in Federal contracts to the big consultants in 2026. $498,795 yesterday. – PWC: $383,900 – KPMG: $114,895 {657} [link]
What’s Parliament doing
Parliament… is not sitting today. There are no committees today. {44} [link]
Flights
The VIP fleet flew at least 473 km in the last few days. That’s 1 plane doing 2 flights over 0 hrs and 59 mins and costing around $4,509. [link]
How does the tender money flow…
YTD tenders for Grains Research and Development Corporation: $83,215,933 {299} [link]
Politician Expenses
Tony Pasin (Reps, Barker, Lib) claimed $831,229 in expenses over the last 4 reported quarters for major categories such as travel, offices and cars. That is $113,045 more than the average. #auspol [link]
Double Donors
SAP Australia donated $42,900 in 2023-24. That was $33,000 to Labor and $9,900 to the Coalition. {3739} #auspol [link]
Parliamentary attendance
Henry Pike (representatives, Bowman, Liberal National Party) attended 70.2% of possible votes. [link]
Political advertising on Google
Political advertising spend with Google in last 24 hours: $19,200. (YTD: $1,520,250) [link]
Political advertising on Facebook
Political advertising on Facebook yesterday: $93,552. (YTD: $642,607) [link]
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