Clive Palmer-scale political donations to be blocked under new electoral spending caps

Spending caps to be introduced by Labor will prevent campaigns on the scale that Clive Palmer’s United Australia party, which spent more than $120m in 2022. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Donation and electoral spending caps could pass parliament as early as this fortnight, with Labor confident the Coalition will help it block campaigns of the size run by Clive Palmer at the national level and teal independents at the local level.

But the bill, to be introduced next week, could spark outrage from independents, emerging and minor parties, with plans to increase public funding of elections from $3.35 a vote to $5.