Opportunity’s $200,000+ donor Alan Wilderland: ‘You have to play the game’
Alan Wilderland, a wealthy donor to the Opportunity party, has contributed over $220,000 to support the party's political goals. Despite the party's proposed policy to cap donations at $30,000, Wilderland argues that playing the current system is necessary to eventually change it.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between political reform agendas and the reliance on wealthy donors to gain the influence necessary to enact those reforms.
The money-man behind Opportunity knows the party's policies will cost him.
"I would definitely be paying more tax," he says.
Alan Wilderland describes his wealth as placing him in the "1 percent". He dances around the term "disadvantage" - he hates using the word - when explaining the impact of Opportunity's tax policy on land-rich people.
"I feel like I've got so much advantage in life that it's more like a reduction in the amount of advantage that I have."
Wilderland is among this election's biggest donors . He's donated $221,160 to Opportunity so far this year, eclipsing Phillip Mills and Brian Cartmell's donations of $100,000. His donation tally will grow over the coming months.
His last big donation was the result of the party leveraging his wealth with a dollar-for-dollar campaign matching small donations.
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