Most politically-engaged people would be aware of that, otherwise there would not be as much noise as there is on donations to the the two major parties by corporate bodies, for example.

The difference here, imo, is that the money and other 'help' given by Rinehart to the PHONey party seriously threatens our already less-than-perfect democracy and the stability of our country. This money given to the Labs or the LIbs is bad enough but given to a group of would-be authoritarian, mostly ill-equipped Trumpian copycats who are financially on the dodgy side makes our political system all the poorer.