Controversial new electoral laws passed in the final week of the 47th Parliament allow major parties to spend significantly more money campaigning, while independent candidates face spending caps. The laws, criticized for creating an uneven playing field, are expected to have a major impact on the upcoming federal election where neither Labor nor the Coalition is predicted to secure a majority, potentially leading to minority governments and negotiations with crossbench independents.
LAURA TINGLE, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Quick quiz question: Do you know the name of your local Labor, Liberal or Nationals MP - even if you voted for them.LAURA TINGLE: That quick quiz question sits at the heart of just one of the contentious issues, in one of the last contentious bits of legislation, to pass this 47th Parliament, in what is its last full week of joint sittings - regardless of when an election is held.
JAMES MCGRATH, NP SENATOR: As a former campaign director I can say to the teals, if they can’t get their message out in a seat with $800,000, then they need to look at their message. One party or other will have to form a minority government with the support of some of the cross bench. LAURA TINGLE: Teal independent MP Zali Steggall found herself in an altercation with the responsible minister, Don Farrell, outside the ABC Parliament House bureau this morning
But the pointy political bit of this is that - if the polls are right - the major parties will have to negotiate with the cross bench to form a government. LAURA TINGLE: The teals came to parliament on the issues of corruption, climate change, and treatment of women. The Albanese Government has spent much of its term under relentless parliamentary pressure from a Coalition assault on issues like national security, immigration and terrorism.
ELECTION DONATIONS CAMPAIGNING INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES MINORITY GOVERNMENT
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