Independent MP Helen Haines, who could become a kingmaker if the federal election returns a hung parliament, will make unpicking a deal struck by Labor and the Coalition on political donations a key negotiating point for her support.
With the final full sitting fortnight of parliament drawing to a close, the major parties landed on a deal to cap individual donations at $50,000, or an effective $450,000 for parties with branches in every state and territory.
The donations reforms will also create a lower minimum threshold for disclosing donations, set up provision for real-time donation disclosures and cap total national spending by a party at $90 million.
Senior Labor sources described the bill as the biggest suite of electoral reforms in four decades that would help curb the political influence of billionaires on Australian democracy.
But independent crossbenchers, who will prove crucial to the major parties if neither can win a majority of seats, say the bill entrenches a lack of transparency within politics.
With polling suggesting a hung parliament is likely, the ABC asked Ms Haines whether the last-hour reform deal would influence who she would support in a minority government.
Ms Haines said it would play a role, and she would prioritise its reform.
“Let’s be clear, both the Coalition and the Labor Party are a unity ticket on trying to dupe our democracy into voting for the major parties, so they’re as bad as each other on this,” Ms Haines said.
“I’ve been a champion for transparency and integrity and politics from the day I came here and throughout.
“If I’m fortunate enough to be re-elected into the next federal parliament, this so-called electoral reform will be well and truly in my line of sight to reform.”
Independents accuse major parties of writing in loopholes
Ms Haines, whose seat of Indi has been held by an independent since 2013, is deeply critical of the deal struck yesterday, which watered down some donations thresholds.
She and other independents have claimed the structure of the donations caps benefits major party campaigns and disadvantages individual candidate campaigns, and do not sufficiently address money raised through fundraising dinners or membership fees.
The donations reform deal struck between the major parties prompted a furious response from independent MPs and senators. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)
Independent senator David Pocock said the major parties had left loopholes in the laws that benefited them.
“At an electorate level there’s an $800,000 spending cap per candidate … but then on top of that the party can basically spend an unlimited amount on party advertising, so as long as they don’t mention that candidate’s name there really is no cap up to the $90 million spending cap per party,” Senator Pocock said.
“They have also decided not to include in their caps all the people that help organise elections, who you would think are part of an election, [like] all the administrators organising events.”
With the reforms one of the likely last acts of this parliament, Senator Pocock said it was “pretty telling” that going into an election “the major parties’ number one priority is themselves”.
Ms Haines says she will push to rewrite the reforms as a matter of urgency in the next term of parliament.
“I absolutely support taking big money out of politics and out of our democracy but what this bill does is entrench a problem with a lack of transparency and entrenches a major party advantage over any new players,” Ms Haines said.
“It’s clearly unfair. The Australian public will see through this, I hope they do they need to vote with their feet on this and say we’re not having it.”
