Donation reform must drive competition Chaney (16 Mar 2024)

Subiaco Post: Kate Chaney says electoral reform must maintain competition in politics as the federal government is tipped to cap the donation limit to parties and candidates.

It appears that Labor is set to move soon on its promised electoral reform. The new legislation, which is unlikely to be passed before the next election, could curtail donations such as $2.5million the two Atlassian founders gave to Climate 200 and the $117 million Clive Palmer gave to the United Australia Party.

The Curtin MP was one of six new Climate 200-backed independents elected at the last election. The political fundraiser gave her $450,000. Ms Chaney publishes the donations she receives in real-time on her website. Currently, donations need only be published annually and usually many months after an election. It is also possible Labor will limit the amount of money allowed to be spent in each electorate.

"Voters deserve to know who is funding their candidates and be protected from outright lies in political advertising," Ms Chaney said this week. "They also deserve a competitive choice of candidates. "No one thinks it's good for democracy when one individual can spend $100 million to influence the outcome of an election.

"But if taxpayers fund election campaigns instead, through an increase in public funding, it entrenches the status quo. "We need competition in business, and we also need competition in politics. "When I see the proposed legislation . I will also be looking at whether the major parties have colluded to structure any caps in a way intended to arrest the decline of their own vote, by making it hard for new challengers to get their message out there.

"Running a campaign from a standing start is expensive and parties have huge economies of scale as well as the many benefits of incumbency.

"Any cap system will need to treat different funding structures fairly and in a way that maintains political competition whether candidates receive donations from companies, unions, crowdfunding intermediaries, or individual citizens." Ms Chaney has advocated for the overhaul of the donations system and to end "cash for access".

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