00:00Victoria often spruiks its tough election laws.
00:04Political donations are capped at $5,000.
00:07But the Labor, Liberal and National parties
00:09have enjoyed a special exemption in the form of nominated entities.
00:13These are war chests the three can access for extra funds
00:16that sit outside the donation cap.
00:18It just continually entrenches the unbearness
00:20and entrenches, you know, power to the major parties.
00:25Independent candidates Melissa Lowe and Paul Hopper
00:28have challenged these nominated entities in the High Court.
00:31In its legal defence to the court,
00:33Victoria has conceded the rules are discriminatory.
00:36We need to continue to strengthen Victoria's electoral donation laws.
00:42It still isn't a level playing field.
00:44Parties will be able to access half a million dollars
00:47from their nominated entities,
00:48but it can only be used for administrative costs, not campaigning.
00:51For independence, it will be capped at $50,000.
00:54The decision flies in the face of an expert review
00:57which recommended government close the nominated entities for everyone.
01:01Labor still has these dodgy funds
01:03that are set up to rig the electoral system
01:05in favour of the Labor and Liberal parties
01:07and lock out anyone else.
01:08The bill also enshrines a 10-day early voting period
01:11down from 12, while also granting a minister power
01:14over where polling booths are set up.
01:16Only in Victoria could a Labor government propose
01:21to rip away an independent electoral commissioner's right.
01:26The way Victorians vote in the upper house could change
01:28for the next election, with cross-party support
01:30to dump the controversial group voting tickets.
01:33That system has allowed secret preference deals
01:35with MPs elected with a tiny amount of votes.
01:38Instead, a report says Victoria should follow the Senate.
01:41It's been a change long called for.
01:46Ladies and gentlemen,
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