DEMOCRACY in Australia has taken a big hit in the form of new electoral reforms recently passed by Labor and the Coalition, in a rushed deal that lacked proper review and rigorous oversight from all parliamentarians.
The Whitsunday Conservation Council (WCC) is outraged that these changes will affect WCC’s ability to conduct non-partisan forums, which question all candidates standing for election, particularly on their environmental opinions.
The new electoral reforms state that any donations to charities and not-for-profit organisations, such as WCC, cannot be used for political advocacy without informing the donor.
This makes holding a ‘Meet the Candidates’ forum, prior to the upcoming Federal Election, very difficult, as it is all but impossible to inform all donors (many of them small donors, who support the work of WCC).
WCC says Australian charities and not-for-profit community groups will be severely limited in their ability to advocate, during election periods.
This will silence every person’s right to speak on issues, be it through charities or local community groups.
“Our communities have a right to know these opinions, to make considered decisions before casting their vote to any candidate,” WCC president Tony Fontes said.
“Politically neutral community organisations such as WCC are an essential tenet of a healthy democratic society.
“WCC considers this to be nothing more than a backroom deal between Labor and the Coalition that hands tens of millions more in taxpayer dollars to the major parties and attempts to lock out the smaller parties, independents and community groups.”
Mr Fontes said there was a history leading up to this ‘last-minute’ legislation.
“At every election since 2010, the vote share of the major parties has fallen,” he said.
“In 2022, the fall accelerated: Nearly one-third of voters opted for a non-major party candidate in the Federal Election that year.
“This trend is likely to continue and this has got the two major parties in a panic.
“Imagine an elected government that actually has to respond to the people of Australia and not the corporates and billionaires.
“But now Labor and the Coalition have teamed up to rewrite election laws in their own favour— making it harder for independent voices to compete and easier for them to cling to power.”
The deal struck by the major parties includes the following details.
· Losing votes means losing money ($3.386/vote at the moment). With the new electoral reform, they have simply handed themselves more taxpayer money per vote ($5.00/vote).
· Instead of a disclosure threshold of $1,000, which would have revealed cash-for-access payments from lobbyists and corporate interests, the threshold has been raised to $5,000.
· The rhetoric of keeping millionaire influence out of politics is looking thin with the increased donation cap of $50,000 (up from $20,000). Since the major parties have nine branches, and they can take four donations per donor every three years, that means a single person or company could give $1.8 million to a major party, every election cycle.
· The major parties will now outspend independents 112 to 1 – with $90 million in election funding nationally, while independents are capped in each set.
· A carve-out for peak bodies means the Business Council of Australia, the Minerals Council of Australia and other lobby groups for vested interests can take up to $250,000 from each member, five times the $50,000 that actual Australian voters are capped at.
· Australian charities and not-for-profit community groups will be severely limited in their ability to advocate during election periods. This will silence every person’s right to speak on issues, be it through charities or local community groups.
WCC feels these laws are not about fairness or transparency or taking big money out of politics – they are a power grab designed to silence challengers and protect the major parties.
All paid for by the Australian taxpayer.
The laws do not come into effect until the election after the upcoming 2025 election, around 2028.
“That means there is still a chance for the next parliament to address the transparency gaps, major party loopholes, and unfair treatment of independents and new entrants,” Mr Fontes said.
“The upcoming election could be your last chance to vote in politicians who will truly represent all Australians.”
Contributed by the Whitsunday Conservation Council.
