Community independent candidate Caz Heise has today criticised in the strongest possible terms the backroom deal between Labor and the Coalition to change Australia’s electoral laws - stacking the system in their favour and making it harder for independent candidates to compete.

The proposed changes, disguised as “electoral reform,” will have devastating consequences for the future of democracy in Australia. The bill includes:

• Capping independent campaign spending $800,000 - far less than what successful independents spent in the last election - while allowing major parties to spend $90 million - meaning they can legally outspend independents in communities like Cowper where they face strong local challenges. 

• Maintaining donation loopholes that let major parties collect corporate membership fees, union donations, and profits from vast investment portfolios. 

• Massively increasing taxpayer funding for major parties, raising per-vote public funding from $2.91 to $5.00, funnelling more public money into their campaigns.

• Allowing state branches of major parties to operate separate donation caps, giving them access to up to seven times the funding of an independent running in a single seat.

• Maintains taxpayer-funded staff, offices, and communications budgets for sitting MPs, handing major party incumbents a publicly funded campaign advantage.

Caz Heise, independent candidate for Cowper, condemned the move as a desperate attempt to silence community-backed candidates and entrench power within party machines.

“The fact that Labor and the Liberals have teamed up on this - right before the election - shows just how scared they are of everyday people getting involved in politics. 

Instead of earning back trust with better policies and more honest campaigns, they’re trying to rig the system in their favour.”

Caz warned that this could be the last election where independents have a fair chance to break through before new restrictions lock them out of the race.

“Democracy should be about a fair contest of ideas, where voters get to choose the candidate that best represents them. But these reforms do the opposite - they lock in a massive funding advantage for the major parties while restricting the ability of community-backed candidates to compete on a level playing field.”

With polling pointing to the likelihood of a minority government, Caz urged voters to fight back before it’s too late.

“These changes are designed to shut out independent voices before the next Parliament sits. But together, we can stop them. A strong, community-powered crossbench is the best way to hold both major parties to account and fight for a fairer democracy.”