Bill attacks democratic practices

The new law is meant to prevent successful campaigns by ordinary folks on issues that concern them

BEWARE: Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill attacks democracy, a reader says. Picture: Melanie Keyte

THE Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill 2017 is an unusual bit of law, not because it disguises much of its real intention behind plausible motives (it does), but because of the strength of its attack upon democratic norms and practices. People from Australian civil society are alarmed about its potential to damage the fabric of our participatory freedoms.

Democracy means the people are sovereign.

All of the government's authority belongs to them. All of it.

Three things guarantee the people's rule: voting - periodically choosing between candidates and parties; a thriving civil society - multiple ways for people to participate in decision-making; and the commitment of everyone to a rule of law.

The Government in Canberra has a law before parliament now - an amendment to the Electoral Act - which is designed purposely to make it much harder for Australian citizens to organise and play their part in guiding our democracy.

It has been promoted as a necessary remedy for foreign influence on elections - but it barely touches that problem.

Multinational corporations can continue to donate as they have always done.

And the bill is said to provide "accountability" for citizens' campaign groups. But there are accountability laws that work now.

The new law is meant to prevent successful campaigns by ordinary folks on issues that concern them - to make it harder to organise and harder to campaign.

The government appears to be punishing success.

We must make sure this new bill never becomes the law of the land by joining together, as citizens must, to reassert our belief in the right of everyone to an effective voice.

JOHN PRICE

Pine Mountain