In the media
"Running scared": As major parties collude on electoral reform they won’t stop communities demanding better alternatives
Media release, 15 November 2024
A reported bid by the major parties to rush donation reforms through Parliament before Christmas should be seen as a cynical attempt at collusion to protect a waning political duopoly. Quite simply – this is the “legacy political brands” running scared and trying to do everything they can to stop a political evolution.
What the major parties don’t seem to understand, is that after decades of being taken for granted this evolution in Australian politics is being led by grassroot community campaigns which will not cower as major parties try to stop or outspend them. This evolution is happening whether the major parties like it or not.
If the reported reforms are rammed through by Labor and the Coalition they will create an uneven playing field and they will make it harder for independents to campaign fairly and effectively at future elections.
Australians deserve better than the major parties doing a deal over electoral reform that protects their own interests. This reform will not stop the rot when it comes to the public’s perception of the major parties, and the trend of voters looking for positive alternatives to support.
Australians are fed up with major party politics, with 1 in 3 voters choosing alternatives such as community independents and minor parties at the last election. Instead of responding with better policy and community focussed campaigning, the major parties think it’s easier to change electoral rules in their favour.
Allowing major parties to sandbag seats at risk with $90 million in election funds, while limiting other candidates to just $800,000 in spending, is a crass attempt to reduce the chances of electoral success for minor parties and independents.
Duopolies don’t deliver good results in any sphere of society. Consumers and voters have suffered at the hands of duopolies in the grocery sector, in aviation and in politics.
In response to these proposed reforms, my message to any community-backed candidate who is considering a run at the 2025 election is: put your hand up and give your community a real choice at the next election.
Other relevant posts
ABC Mornings Post-Budget Panel
ABC Radio Mornings, 26 March 2025
Kylea speaks with host Kathryn Robinson and Fowler's Dai Le MP about the 2025 Federal Budget, describing the government's headline-grabbing tax breaks as a "very tiny, very small green shoot" that indicates that Labor may be prepared to begin to consider larger scale tax reform. When asked about the upcoming election, Kylea reiterates her commitment to the community independent movement: "We need everyday Australians stepping up ... to bring their real-life, lived experience into Parliament House, because it's only when you have that experience that you understand the impact that some of these reforms will have."
Fairy Bread: A Bread & Butter Budget Sprinkled with Sugar Hits
Media Statement, 26 March 2025
The 2025 Federal budget is a classic bread and butter budget that focuses on the bare basics but lacks ambition. This time however, it’s more like fairy bread in that it’s sprinkled with a few sugar hits that offer temporary relief for some but no long term, lasting benefits.
The Coalition’s attack on the climate authority is a cynical attempt to put ideology over facts – it must be called out
The Guardian, 27 February 2025
On the Coalition's attack on the Climate Change Authority, Kylea writes: "As my grandmother used to say: we are all entitled to our own opinions. But we are not entitled to our own facts."
When does bipartisanship happen? When mutual self-interest is served
The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 February 2025
Economics editor Ross Gittins has described a bipartisan deal on electoral reform as “collusion”, saying the major parties have passed reforms that “advance their interests at the expense of the voters.” He says a minority government would allow independents to push for “braver policies in return for keeping the minority government in power. Not such a bad arrangement.”
‘Swimming in debt’: Sydney’s $14 billion student loan burden
The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 February 2025
New data shows that North Sydney is region with the 4th highest number of students with HELP debt (44,030).
The 12 teal battlegrounds to watch out for this election
Australian Financial Review, 26 February 2025
After the wave of independents that swept the 2022 election, here are the 35 community-backed independents to watch out for as we head towards the polls.
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