Palmer plots High Court challenge as teals slam election funding overhaul

Mining magnate Clive Palmer has vowed to challenge Labor’s sweeping electoral finance reforms in the High Court, joining teal independents to slam the proposals as a scheme to lock minor parties out of politics.

Special Minister of State Don Farrell on Friday revealed plans to cap the amount a candidate can receive from a single donor at $20,000 and the total a candidate can spend in a seat at $800,000 after months of talks with the Coalition resulted in an in-principle agreement that could get the laws through parliament this month.

But Palmer, who spent more than $100 million last election on his United Australia Party, said the major parties’ agreement was 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,” Palmer said in a statement.

“This new legislation is designed to rig elections. It will also hinder the independents, the regular Australians, from standing for parliament, which is what the Constitution was designed for.

“As an Australian citizen, I will challenge these unconstitutional acts, which will suppress freedom. We have just witnessed with the results of the US election, that populations overwhelming want democracy and freedom.”

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The Greens and independent MPs Kate Chaney, David Pocock and Monique Ryan all expressed scepticism about the plans, which they fear will benefit incumbent MPs who can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on voter communications.

“I think the public should be very suspicious of the deal that the major parties have secretly agreed to without anyone seeing the exposure legislation at the very last minute,” Chaney, who has been leading the teals’ advocacy on donation reform, said on ABC TV.