Zero Political Funding Pledge Version 1.0 — 1 August 2026 Operator: McGovern Solutions Pty Ltd (ABN 83 632 212 849) ("we", "us", "the Operator")
1. About this agreement
1.1 This agreement governs your participation in the Zero Political Funding Pledge scheme (the Scheme), operated by us at zeropoliticalfunding.com.au.
1.2 You enter this agreement when your authorised signatory accepts it during the application process. It takes commercial effect — and Certification activates — only when your first Fee payment is confirmed under clause 6.
1.3 This agreement incorporates, as separate versioned instruments accepted at attestation: the Pledge, the Trailing 12-Month Declaration, and the Badge and Mark Licence Terms. The Privacy Policy and the Complaints, Appeals and Revocation Procedure apply as published on the Site.
2. Definitions
Certification means the status granted to you under this agreement, described publicly as "Pledged & Screened", meaning that: (a) you have made the Pledge and the Trailing 12-Month Declaration; and (b) your Declared Group has been screened against the published AEC Transparency Register without a disqualifying match. Certification is not a warranty, audit or guarantee of your funding practices.
Declared Group means you and every entity you declared in your application (and any update accepted by us), being each entity you Control, together with declared trading names and directors.
Control has the meaning given in section 50AA of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).
Fee means the annual certification fee set out in clause 6.
Political Donation has the meaning given in the Pledge.
Screening means matching of the Declared Group against the published Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) Transparency Register, as described in clause 4.
Site means zeropoliticalfunding.com.au, including the public register, verification pages and verification API.
3. What Certification is — and is not
3.1 What we establish. Before granting Certification we: (a) verify your ABN against the Australian Business Register; (b) record your attestations to the Pledge and the Trailing 12-Month Declaration; and (c) screen your Declared Group against the published AEC Transparency Register, with every decision made by a person.
3.2 What we cannot establish. The AEC Transparency Register only contains what has been disclosed and published. Annual returns for a financial year are generally published the following February. Screening therefore cannot detect political funding that is recent, not yet published, not required to be disclosed (for example, below a disclosure threshold), made in a State, Territory or local government context not captured by the federal register, or simply undeclared. Your trailing 12-month position is evidenced primarily by your own declaration, not by independent data.
3.3 Your acknowledgment. You acknowledge clauses 3.1 and 3.2 and agree not to describe Certification, in any medium, as an audit, a guarantee, or a verification of matters the Screening cannot establish.
3.4 Reliance between us. In deciding to grant and maintain Certification we rely on the truth, accuracy and completeness of your application, attestations, declarations and notifications. That reliance is the basis of this agreement.
4. Screening and review rights
4.1 You consent to Screening of your Declared Group: (a) at application; (b) at each renewal; (c) when new AEC data is published; and (d) at any time on reasonable grounds.
4.2 AI-assisted matching may be used to shortlist and disambiguate candidate records. No decision to grant, decline, suspend or revoke Certification is made by automated means; a person makes every decision.
4.3 You must, within 10 business days of request, provide information reasonably required to verify your eligibility, including confirmation of your corporate structure and, where a screening match requires clarification, records sufficient to resolve it.
5. Your ongoing obligations
5.1 You must ensure that no member of the Declared Group makes a Political Donation while Certification is current.
5.2 You must notify us in writing within 14 days after you become aware that: (a) any member of the Declared Group has made a Political Donation (whether before or during the certification term, including any inaccuracy in the Trailing 12-Month Declaration); (b) there is a change in Control, entities, trading names or directors of the Declared Group; or (c) any information in your application has become materially inaccurate.
5.3 Notification under clause 5.2(a) will result in revocation under clause 8 but honest and prompt self-reporting will be taken into account in how removal is described to you and in any future application.
6. Fees, term, renewal, suspension for non-payment
6.1 Application is free. No amount is payable unless and until your application is approved.
6.2 Fee. The Fee is A$60 per year plus GST. Until 31 December 2026, the first-year Fee is discounted to A$30 plus GST; the standard Fee of A$60 plus GST applies from your first renewal. Both amounts, and the renewal price, are disclosed before you pay. We will issue a tax invoice for each payment.
6.3 Activation. On approval we email you a payment link. Certification activates only on confirmed payment. If payment is not made within 30 days of approval, the approval lapses and a fresh application is required.
6.4 Term and auto-renewal. Certification runs for 12 months from activation and renews automatically each year at the then-current standard Fee, charged to your nominated payment method via Stripe. We will send you a reminder, stating the renewal amount and how to cancel, at least 14 days before each renewal charge. You may cancel auto-renewal at any time before the charge date, in which case Certification simply ends at the end of the current term.
6.5 Failed renewal. If a renewal charge fails, Stripe will retry (currently 3 attempts over approximately 14 days) and we will notify you. On final failure Certification is suspended: you are removed from the public register and must cease badge display under the Badge and Mark Licence Terms. Payment within 60 days of suspension reinstates Certification automatically. If payment is not made within that period, this agreement terminates.
6.6 Fee changes. We may change the standard Fee by giving you at least 30 days' written notice. A change takes effect only from your next renewal, and you may cancel before that renewal without cost.
6.7 Refunds. Fees are not refundable for change of mind. If we terminate this agreement or revoke Certification other than for your breach, non-payment, or an untrue declaration — including if we discontinue the Scheme — we will refund the unused portion of your current-year Fee pro rata. Nothing in this clause limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
7. Public register, badge and certificate
7.1 While Certification is current we will list your legal name, ABN and certification dates on the public register, and the verification API will return your status.
7.2 Public status is binary: "certified" or "not currently certified". We do not publicly distinguish suspension, lapse, decline, revocation or non-renewal, and we do not publish declined applications.
7.3 Badge display is governed by the Badge and Mark Licence Terms. The printable certificate evidences status only as at its issue date and carries a QR link to live verification.
8. Suspension and revocation
8.1 We may suspend Certification (removing you from the public register while we investigate) only where: (a) a renewal payment has finally failed (clause 6.5); (b) we reasonably consider that a screening match, notification, complaint or other credible information indicates you may be in breach of the Pledge or this agreement; or (c) you fail to respond to a request under clause 4.3.
8.2 We may revoke Certification only where: (a) a member of the Declared Group has made a Political Donation during the certification term; (b) the Pledge, the Trailing 12-Month Declaration or your application was untrue or misleading in a material respect when made; (c) you commit a material breach of this agreement (including the Badge and Mark Licence Terms) and, where the breach is capable of remedy, fail to remedy it within 14 days of notice; or (d) you cease to hold a valid ABN or cease to carry on business.
8.3 Except in urgent cases (where continued listing would be misleading to the public), before revoking we will give you written notice of the grounds and at least 10 business days to respond, and a person not involved in the original decision will decide. The Complaints, Appeals and Revocation Procedure applies to all declines, suspensions and revocations.
8.4 Suspension and revocation are effected privately, consistent with clause 7.2: your public status simply becomes "not currently certified".
8.5 On revocation or termination you must cease all use of the badge, marks and certificate in accordance with the Badge and Mark Licence Terms.
9. Termination by you
You may terminate this agreement at any time by written notice or via your account. Termination takes effect on receipt; clause 6.7 governs refunds.
10. Liability
10.1 Nothing in this agreement excludes, restricts or modifies any right or remedy, or any guarantee, that cannot lawfully be excluded, including under the Australian Consumer Law. Where liability for breach of a non-excludable guarantee may be limited, it is limited, at our option, to resupplying the services or paying the cost of resupply.
10.2 Subject to clause 10.1, each party's total aggregate liability to the other under or in connection with this agreement is capped at the Fees paid or payable by you in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim, and neither party is liable to the other for consequential or indirect loss, loss of profit, revenue, goodwill or opportunity.
10.3 Subject to clause 10.1, we are not liable for loss arising from: (a) the inherent limits of Screening described in clause 3.2; (b) errors or omissions in AEC, ABR or other third-party data; or (c) your own breach of the Pledge or untrue declarations.
10.4 You are liable to us for loss we reasonably incur as a direct result of an untrue attestation or declaration or your material breach of this agreement. This clause is not an indemnity for third-party claims generally and is subject to the cap in clause 10.2 except in the case of fraud.
11. Privacy
Personal information collected in connection with the Scheme is handled under our Privacy Policy and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Director names are collected solely for Screening, are not published, and profile data used for AI-assisted disambiguation is disclosed to our overseas AI provider as described in the Privacy Policy and collection notice.
12. Changes to this agreement and the Pledge
12.1 We may amend this agreement, the Pledge or the Trailing 12-Month Declaration by publishing a new version. Amendments apply to you only from your next renewal, and we will give you at least 30 days' notice before that renewal.
12.2 If an amendment to the Pledge or this agreement is material, renewal is conditional on your re-attestation to the new version. If you do not re-attest, Certification ends at the end of the current term (no breach arises). The version you most recently accepted continues to govern until then.
13. Disputes
13.1 Before starting court proceedings (other than urgent injunctive relief), a party must give written notice of the dispute and the parties must attempt in good faith to resolve it, first between nominated representatives within 20 business days, then by mediation administered by the Resolution Institute under its mediation rules.
13.2 The Complaints, Appeals and Revocation Procedure is the first avenue for disputes about certification decisions.
14. General
14.1 Governing law and jurisdiction: the laws of Queensland, Australia; the parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland and the Commonwealth of Australia.
14.2 You may not assign this agreement without our consent (not to be unreasonably withheld for a solvent corporate restructure within the Declared Group). Certification does not transfer on a change of Control; you must notify us under clause 5.2(b) and we may re-screen.
14.3 Notices may be given by email to the addresses on record. This agreement, together with the instruments in clause 1.3, is the entire agreement. A clause held unenforceable is severed to the minimum extent necessary. GST terms: amounts are exclusive of GST unless stated; GST is payable in addition on taxable supplies against a valid tax invoice.