Clive Palmer, the billionaire mining magnate and founder of the United Australia Party, has threatened to launch a High Court challenge over the Australian government’s plans to curb political donations.
The Albanese government is set to introduce legislation next week that would cap donations to political parties at $600,000 per year and limit individual donations to candidates and politicians to $20,000. The proposed reforms would also impose spending caps of $90 million for federal campaigns and $800,000 per electorate.
Mr. Palmer, who spent over $100 million to win just one Senate seat in the 2022 election, claims the reforms are designed to “suppress competition” and limit the ability of independents to run for office. He accused the Labor and Liberal parties of working together to “control Australians” and their democratic freedoms.
“As an Australian citizen, I will challenge these unconstitutional acts which will suppress freedom,” Palmer said in a furious statement. “Labor and the Liberals working together on this issue is a disgrace. The only hope for Australian people is if the High Court looks at the constitution and the implied rights of freedom of speech.”
The billionaire’s comments come as the government seeks to reduce the influence of wealthy donors and big-money campaigns on the political process. During the 2022 election, Palmer’s United Australia Party spent $116 million on its Senate campaign, resulting in just one seat for former real estate agent Ralph Babet.
Special Minister of State Don Farrell acknowledged that the proposed reforms would face challenges, but urged the Coalition and crossbench to support the measures, arguing they would “improve Australia’s political system” and help maintain public faith in democratic institutions.
However, independent Senator David Pocock has already accused the major parties of attempting to “ram through” the legislation without proper consultation with the crossbench. Pocock expressed concerns that the reforms could “lock out more community independents” and undermine grassroots representation.
As the debate over campaign finance reform continues in Australia, the High Court challenge threatened by the outspoken billionaire Clive Palmer promises to add another layer of complexity to the government’s efforts to curb the influence of wealthy donors in the country’s political landscape.
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