The majority of Australians are against the public funding of political parties
An expert believes that Australians are against public funding for political parties, preferring that parties earn support through their own efforts rather than rely on taxpayer money.
According to a recent survey on political funding, three in five Australians oppose public funding for political parties and candidates, while only 27 percent support it. This opposition is seen across voters from all political affiliations, indicating a broad national consensus against using taxpayer funds for election campaigns.
Graham Young, the Executive Director of the Australian Institute for Progress, interprets this opposition as a belief that political parties should earn their support and not be propped up by taxpayer dollars. He points out that public funding tends to benefit established parties and alienates them from their supporters.
Young emphasizes that political parties should be responsible for raising their own funds, and failure to do so reflects their strength within the community. He insists that if parties cannot raise enough funds to run a campaign, they are unlikely to be effective in parliament.
The survey also indicates interest in alternative funding methods, such as “democracy vouchers.” This concept, inspired by a U.S. model, would allow voters to allocate public funds to candidates of their choice through vouchers. Young sees this as a way to significantly increase public funding and describes it as a form of “gamification.”
However, Young warns that while the idea of democracy vouchers may initially appeal to voters, it could lead to cynicism once implemented. He believes that public funding has not improved democratic outcomes but has resulted in larger spending on election campaigns.
Despite the opposition to increasing public funding, Young suggests that reducing or eliminating public funding could lead to more modest election campaigns and encourage parties to engage more effectively with voters.
