Proposed changes to Australian electoral law would make elections less fair and substantially more expensive, according to this analysis of the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Bill 2024. This paper finds that the Bill, which includes measures such as capping political spending and increasing transparency around donations, would disproportionately benefit established parties and incumbent MPs. 

The analysis examines the proposed changes to Australia's electoral system, assessing them against nine principles of fair political finance reform. It also presents findings from polling data on public attitudes toward election reform. Ultimately, the paper argues that the Bill, while containing some positive elements, is deeply flawed. The authors recommend separating and passing the non-controversial aspects of the Bill, and having the remainder assessed by parliamentary inquiry. 

Key findings

• The format of the Bill's donation caps would allow established parties to receive more donations.
• The nominated entity exception could allow a billionaire-funded minor party to bypass spending limits.
• Established parties and incumbent MPs would receive significantly more public funding than independent candidates and new parties. 
• Independent candidates would be more limited in their spending than party candidates.
• A majority of Australians (81%) believe that major changes to electoral law should be reviewed by a multi-party committee.
• Most Australians (71%) oppose increased public funding.
• A majority of Australians (84%) support real-time disclosure of political contributions.
• Nine in ten Australians (90%) agree that if a political party accepts public taxpayer funding, it should be subject to freedom of information laws and required to publish annual reports on its revenue and spending.
• The Bill would improve transparency for political donations – particularly those used to fund election campaigns.