LNP slams proposed local government election spending caps

Unions would have the power to spend millions more than mayoral candidates in Brisbane’s council elections under mooted spending cap changes.

Unions would have the power to spend millions more than mayoral candidates in Brisbane’s council elections under proposed spending cap changes that have been slammed as an “assault on democracy”.

The State Government has quietly floated the new rules, which would apply to all local government elections in the state – limiting the amount of cash that candidates can spend in their campaigns.

Under the potential changes, Brisbane mayoral candidates would only be able to spend a maximum of $250,000, while Gold Coast mayoral candidates could spend up to about $222,000.

Registered third parties such as unions, however, would each have the power to spend the combined cap of every mayoral race in the state during the local government election period – which equates to about $3.8 million.

And according to the proposed changes – which have been raised in a discussion paper – the cap for those third parties could be applied “flexibly” across local government areas.

Local Government Minister Steven Miles last night insisted the discussion paper was for consultation purposes.

It means a union could choose to spend all of their $3.8 million cap in one local government area – such as Brisbane, which is the only council race in the state that involves political parties.

Councillor candidates will also be subject to spending limits, which in Brisbane would be capped at about $22,751.

Mayoral and councillor candidates who come from the same political party would be allowed to pool their caps, but this comes in at only about $841,000 in Brisbane – far less than the $3.8m cap for each union.

Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister Steven Miles last night insisted the proposals were for “consultation purposes”.

“The Palaszczuk Government is implementing the recommendations of the CCC to introduce electoral donation caps for local government elections,” he said.

“Feedback, including from the LNP and Lord Mayor, will be considered in determining what caps the government ultimately proposes.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“The paper very clearly asks ‘Do you support the proposed cap for registered and unregistered third parties?’”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner described the discussion paper as a “30-page plan to rig the next Brisbane council election”.

“If the Labor Government was serious about electoral reform, it would have consulted with councils and come up with something fair,” the LNP Lord Mayor said.

“What makes this dodgy affront to democracy even worse is that they’re trying to slip it through while people are focused on the federal election.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli also called on Mr Miles to rule out what he described as an “assault on democracy”.

Consultation on the discussion paper will close on May 27.

The government has claimed the proposed spending caps for parties and candidates were based on analysis of actual expenditure from past elections.