KINGMAKER Nick Xenophon has revealed his "shoestring budget" for the 2016 election campaign topped $1"million, matching the payout his party is set to secure from taxpayers.
Pauline Hanson's party might also hit the million dollar mark. Candidates who secure 4"per cent of the primary vote get $2.60 from taxpayers for every vote secured.
The Xenophon team evicted Liberal MP Jamie Briggs from the safe seat of   Mayo in South Australia and has secured several Senate spots.
Despite a 3 per cent swing against him in his home state, he secured more Senate seats.
After claiming he was not on a shoestring budget but "a dental floss budget", the South Australian senator has now revealed he sunk $1 million into his campaign.
"Our campaign actually cost more than that. But any suggestion of a windfall is completely wrong," Mr Xenophon told The Sunday Times.
"The previous predictions of a windfall were wrong. We had to spend more than exp-ected to counter the misleading Labor campaign on penalty rates." Mr Xenophon has emerged from the campaign more powerful than ever with predictions he could secure up to three senators in South Australia alone. There's still an outside chance his candidates could win in WA or Queensland. He has already held talks with the Prime Minister.
"It's in everyone's interests to get some stability. I think this Parliament will be more stable than 2010," he said.
Last month, The Sunday Times revealed Ms Hanson and her party One Nation had received more than $6 million in funding from taxpayers since 1996.One Nation is now on track to secure between $700,000 and $1.2 million. The final result depends on how her candidates perform in the final count in NSW and WA.