23. Is there a ban on political parties engaging in commercial activities?

'There is little legislative interference in the internal workings of political parties— for example, how parties select their candidates for public and party
office, how they formulate their policies, structure decision-making procedures and administer the party on a daily basis.'

'Party registration requirements in Australia are generally quite lax. Although a party must be established on the basis of a written constitution, there are few legislative directives as to what the constitution should actually contain, such as a minimum level of detail for certain intraparty procedures.'

'Although registered political parties require a formal written constitution under the provisions of the Commonwealth Electoral Act, the structure and content of the party constitution are essentially regarded as internal matters for individual political parties to determine. The Act requires only that the aims of the party (one of which must be the endorsement of candidates to contest federal elections) be enumerated, in addition to the terms and conditions of party membership (for example, the procedures for accepting or terminating membership). It is important to note that like the aims of the party, the Act requires only that the terms and conditions of party membership be formally codified in the party’s constitution and does not impose any requirements as to their actual content'.

Source: Anika Gauja, Dilemmas of party regulation: Hands-on courts versus hands-off legislators? (2016) <http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1rrd7k8.14?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents>.