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Independent MP Zali Steggall has confronted Labor frontbencher Don Farrell over controversial electoral reforms capping political donations.
The reforms, which impose limits on how much a political candidate can receive as well as how much a single donor can contribute, passed the Senate late on Wednesday night.
While crossbenchers have supported transparency measures in the legislation, they have been critical of the $800,000 electorate cap, stating the new measures will largely benefit the major parties.
The trade minister stopped to take questions from the media in the corridors of the press gallery when Steggall came up from behind and started to criticise the changes.
“There’s now a cap on how much you can spend in an individual electorate,” Farrell told reporters on Thursday. “That must be good for all ordinary Australians who want to participate in the electoral process.”
Steggall began interjecting: “If you’re so sure, why won’t you send the bill to an inquiry to ensure that it is democratic and fair?”
“Why don’t you tell young people that what is going to happen?,” she said pointing to the cameras.
“Because now the public is paying for the money that you want to still spend during elections, and the only people that participate in elections will be union members.”
Farrell, briefly taken aback, fired back.
“That is completely untrue,” he said. “Unions are subject to exactly the same rules.”
The two MPs spent several minutes in a tense exchange as they debated the ins and outs of the newly-passed legislation.
