Queensland Government passes electoral reform

The Queensland Government has introduced a range of electoral reforms in the final sitting week of Parliament for 2019.

The reforms seek to change election campaigning funding and expenditure arrangements in Queensland.

Public funding for registered political parties will be increased to offset the impact of the proposed donation caps and improve access for Independents and minor parties.

Specifically, the proposed reforms aim to:

• Require a dedicated state campaign account to be kept for registered political parties
• Cap donations and electoral expenditure for political entities involved in an election campaign
• Ensure polling stations are “neutral environments” for voters by restricting signage and measures that “crowd out” other political candidates
• Create new criminal offences for Cabinet Ministers acting dishonestly to obtain a benefit for themselves or others
• Reduce conflicts of interest at a local government level

The proposed reforms are set to be debated when parliament resumes in February next year.

The Electoral and Other Legislation (Accountability, Integrity and Other Matters) Amendment Bill can be found here.