With dissatisfaction rising towards major party-led governments, Australians are increasingly looking at independent voices to guide the nation.
The two dominant forces, Labor and the Coalition, have been pushing through controversial legislation aimed at making it harder for independents to compete.
The government insists the new law is a bid to curb the influence of billionaires in our elections. But independent MPs argue it’s a direct attempt to diminish their chances and keep the status quo in place.
These independent MPs say the big parties are doing an election stitchup
On Thursday afternoon’s episode of The Briefing, we sat down with Allegra Spender, Independent MP for Wentworth, and Kate Chaney, Independent MP for Curtin, to discuss how the reforms could reshape Australian politics.
“We don’t let Coles and Woolies make the laws about supermarket competition but Liberal and Labor are making the rules about who can compete with them,” Ms Chaney said.
Ms Spender pointed out that the share of votes for major parties has declined over a generation, dropping from 98 per cent to around two-thirds.
“Neither party has done anything that would arrest that decline. So instead of trying to win back voters with policies they want to change the rules and stop new competitors,” she said.
Polls suggest Australia could be heading towards a minority government, where neither Labor nor the Coalition would hold enough seats to pass legislation independently.
While both major parties warn of chaos in such a scenario, Independent MPs disagree, calling it a chance for balance and common sense.
Ms Spender argued that a minority government would encourage more thoughtful legislation.
“If we put the sort of policy and outcomes first rather than the politics I think we’ll get a long way and I think that’s actually an opportunity in the next parliament.”
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