This article exposes the underhanded tactics employed by the Australian Labor Party and Liberal Party to maintain their dominance in the political system. Through a seemingly innocuous electoral reform bill, they have secured advantages that heavily favor established politicians over newcomers, effectively undermining the democratic process.
If you think Labor and the Liberals are always at each other’s throats and never agree on anything, you haven’t been watching closely enough. Sometimes – last week, for instance – they do deals with each other they hope we won’t notice. When they’ve reached an agreement they don’t want seen, it’s because they’ve colluded to do something that advances their interests at the expense of the voters.
Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese are on a unity ticket when it comes to political donations and electoral funding. It reminds me of economist Adam Smith’s observation that “people of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public”. \What do we want from our politicians? That they get on with fixing our many problems. When we discover the present lot isn’t doing that, we toss ’em out. In practice, however, it’s not that simple. We’ve long had a system of two-party government, which means that when one side’s no good, we turn to the other one. But what happens when it too proves to be no good? We have no alternative but to return to the first side, which we already know isn’t up to snuff. That’s the position we’re in now. We tossed out Scott Morrison and replaced him with Anthony Albanese, only to discover he’s not game to do what it takes. So, does Peter Dutton strike you as the good leader we’re looking for? You’d have to be a terribly rusted-on Lib to think so. \What now? Actually, our loss of faith in the political duopoly isn’t new. It’s become clear that the two sides have just about fought themselves to a standstill. Neither side is game to do anything much, for fear of the scare campaign the other side would run.This explains why voters have been groping towards plan B. In the 2022 federal election, almost a third of voters – a record proportion – gave their first-preference vote to candidates other than from the two majors. Many Labor voters have turned to the Greens, while the growing number of independents was boosted by the six teal independents taking over seats in the Liberals’ heartland. What’s the single biggest source of discontent with the duopolists? Their reluctance to get on with fighting climate change. We’ve already come close to having a minority government, and there’s a high chance we’ll get one at this year’s election. This gives the smaller parties and independents the balance of power, allowing them to achieve braver policies in return for keeping the minority government in power. Not such a bad arrangement. After doing a deal with the Coalition, Labor got it through the Senate despite the vehement opposition of the Greens and, particularly, the teal independents. As Labor claims, the act involves the most comprehensive changes to the electoral system in four decades. And many of the changes are genuine reforms, limiting how much individuals can donate to candidates or parties, and tightening up rules on disclosing the identity of donors and the timeliness of that disclosure. Labor claims its reforms will take the “big money” out of election campaigns. Don’t you believe it. It’s true it will stop the Clive Palmers from giving millions to a party, but that was never a big worry. Various loopholes will allow Labor to continue getting big bucks from the unions and the Libs getting much moolah from business and the secret funds in which money has been stashed. In any case, the act makes up for any loss of donations by greatly increasing the money the parties and independent candidates get from the taxpayer. After an election, candidates who get more than 4 per cent of the votes get about $3.50 per vote. That will be increased to $5 – which you can double because we each cast two votes, for the House and the Senate. And that’s before you get to a new payment to cover “administration costs” of $90,000 per election for members of the lower house, and half that for senators. The point is, these old and new payments go to incumbents, giving them a huge financial head start over new people trying to get in. Even before you think of all the expensive advertising you’d like, setting up an office, staffing it, and paying for printing and stationery ain’t cheap. But sitting members get an electoral office and a staff of five, plus transport and a generous printing budget they use to get themselves re-elected. So, would-be independents have to raise and spend a lot of money to have any chance against an incumbent member. Which is where the act’s new limit on spending of $800,000 per candidate puts incumbents way ahead of newcomers. What’s more, political parties are allowed to spend $90 million each on advertising, which they can direct away from their safe seats to their marginals. Get it? The two major parties have cooked up “reforms” that benefit them by stacking the rules against new independents. The Greens aren’t greatly disadvantaged because they’re a party and have incumbents
AUSTRALIAN POLITICS LABOR PARTY LIBERAL PARTY ELECTORAL REFORM CAMPAIGN FINANCE POLITICAL SYSTEM DEMOCRACY Incumbents INDEPENDENTS MINORITY GOVERNMENT
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Liberal Party Leads Labor on TikTok, Close Race on Instagram and FacebookAnalysis of social media data reveals that the Liberal Party and Peter Dutton are significantly outperforming Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party on TikTok, particularly among Gen Z users. Meanwhile, the race is closer on Instagram and Facebook, where both leaders see relatively similar engagement levels.
Read more »
The Two-Party Rig: How Labor and Liberal Politicians Protect Their PowerThis article criticizes the political system in Australia, arguing that the two-party system of Labor and Liberal parties is rigged in their favor. It highlights how these parties collude to enact electoral reforms that benefit them at the expense of independent candidates and smaller parties.
Read more »
The Price of Political Ambitions: A Critique of Liberal Party PoliciesThis article criticizes the Liberal Party's handling of local government in the Northern Beaches, particularly the proposed 40% rate rise and the previous push for council amalgamations. It argues that the party's actions have resulted in cost overruns and a lack of democratic representation. The author also condemns Peter Dutton's leadership style and policies, comparing him to Donald Trump and questioning the competence of his shadow cabinet.
Read more »
Victoria's Labor Party Faces Political Crisis as Poll Shows Premier Daniel Andrews Losing SupportA new poll has sent shockwaves through Victoria's Labor Party, revealing a dramatic decline in support for Premier Daniel Andrews. The results suggest that the party, which has held power in the state for almost two decades, is now facing a serious threat from the opposition Liberal Party. The poll highlights voter dissatisfaction with the cost of living, crime, and debt, as well as a preference for the Liberal Party's new leader, Brad Battin.
Read more »
Clive Palmer's New Political Party: Trumpet of Parrots or Political Ploy?Clive Palmer, known for his extravagant political ventures, has launched yet another party, this time named 'Trumpet.' The party's platform echoes Trump's policies and Musk's approach to government waste, raising questions about its authenticity and long-term viability.
Read more »
New Vic Liberal leader sides with Labor Premier in rejecting permit system for protestsNew Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin has rejected calls to introduce a permit system for protests, echoing comments made by Labor Premier Jacinta Allan.
Read more »