Conservatives' last-minute cash injection

Conservative Party leader Colin Craig. Photo / APN

The Conservative Party was given another $750,000 in donations by wealthy supporters immediately before its failed election bid, Electoral Commission records show.

A number of large donations were made to political parties in the final two weeks before the general election, and have just been declared.

Retired Hamilton couple Laurence and Katrina Day gave two donations of $250,000 and $500,000 to Conservatives in September, following earlier donations totalling $675,000.

Mr Day made a windfall of $10 million when he sold his portion of private training organisation Quantum Education earlier this year.

He has poured his money into Colin Craig's party because he is a strong supporter of binding referenda.

After the Conservatives failed to win a seat on Saturday, he told the Herald his donations were not wasted because the party had placed itself on the political map.

Mr Craig, who runs a property management business, donated another $50,000 to his own party on September 12, increasing his total contribution in the last Parliamentary term to $1.34 million.

Christchurch-based hotel owners Earl and Lani Hagaman, who regularly made donations to National and Act, made new contributions before the election.

Act declared a $10,000 donation from Lani Hagaman which followed an earlier donation of $25,000, and National declared a $100,000 donation from Earl Hagaman.

National also received $50,000 from Harbour 5, a property investment company, and $60,000 from Christopher & Banks Private Equity Ltd, a company at which former Act Party leader John Banks used to be a director.