Unprecedented ‘weirdest stuff’ and concerns about Americanisation of Australia’s 2025 election to be probed in review
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Version 0 of 2. Exclusive: Voter intimidation, influence of shadowy groups and alleged threat of interference are major themes a parliamentary committee will explore Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Concerning reports of aggression and intimidation allegedly experienced by voters and electoral workers have prompted a review of the 2025 election by the federal parliament. Boosting security around polling places and concerns about cashed-up, shadowy and “hyper-partisan” campaign groups will be probed. “A line was crossed” by some campaigners in the May federal election, Labor MP Jerome Laxale, chair of the electoral matters committee, alleged. “Some of the weirdest and craziest stuff happened … stuff that I’ve never experienced before in over 30 years of doing this,” Laxale told Guardian Australia. “We don’t want the Americanisation of our democracy with hyper-partisanship and these incredibly well-funded third-party operators influencing our democracy. “I don’t want the 2025 election to be the new normal of behaviour at polling booths.” The review will focus on issues around polling booths, the powers of the Australian Electoral Commission and campaign cash. The 2025 campaign was marred by reports of unauthorised and offensive mail material, at-times hostile and spiteful standoffs between candidates, and disputes over ads, social media posts and voting access. While some are sadly common features at many modern elections, Laxale said some reports were out of the ordinary. “I think a big theme that’ll come out of evidence [to the inquiry] will be safety, security and the voter experience,” he said. “I don’t want people to feel disenfranchised or have a reason to not vote, and I saw people leave the polling booths traumatised.” Sign up: AU Breaking News email Laxale has been named chair of the joint standing committee on electoral matters (JSCEM), which conducts a review after every election. In a letter to Laxale, the special minister of state, Don Farrell – who has jurisdiction over electoral issues – asked the committee to probe issues including “the purported increase in incidents of aggressive conduct, deliberate obstruction, and intimidating behaviour” at the election toward voters, candidates, volunteers and AEC staff. Farrell also requested the committee consider potential reform of safety arrangements. This included “consideration of the powers, processes, and capacity of the AEC to manage and address increasingly threatening or disruptive behaviour”; issues around voter access, such as availability of polling booths, and remote, early or postal voting; and the “suitability” of requirements for campaign material to be properly authorised. Longer terms of government Farrell has also asked the committee to examine fixed four-year parliamentary terms and the prospect of expanding the number of seats in federal parliament. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has long supported longer terms but isn’t prepared to hold the referendum that would be required to make the change. Albanese reaffirmed that position on Wednesday, ruling out any referendums in this term of parliament. “I support fixed four-year terms – always have. Referendums are pretty hard to carry in this country,” he said. “And opportunism kicks in and, unless you have bipartisan support, then it’s not going to be supported.” Alleged threats of interference JSCEM will probe the rollout of electoral reforms to restrict campaign spending, as well as alleged “ongoing threats of interference in our electoral system, both foreign and domestic”. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Laxale prevailed in one of the most bitterly fought campaigns, holding his seat of Bennelong – which had notionally become a Liberal-held seat after a redistribution. He won by a commanding 60-40 margin in a seat the opposition had strongly targeted and expected to win. Laxale’s own campaign was embroiled in controversy after inappropriate comments reportedly made by his father to a volunteer handing out Liberal pamphlets. Laxale in a statement apologised for the comments, calling them “deeply offensive and completely unacceptable”, and said his father also apologised. The incident reportedly came after claims of intimidation, obstruction and personal taunts toward Laxale and his team from other volunteers, amid an acrimonious campaign. Coordinated involvement by third-party groups Laxale said issues around “coordinated third-party involvement from various groups” would also be a major theme in the review. He declined to single out specific issues before the committee began its work and held hearings. But it is likely the role of the Exclusive Brethren, as well as campaign groups like Advance or Climate 200, would be raised by those submitting to the inquiry. Multiple reports of Brethren members handing out material for the Liberal party were received during the campaign; the church denied it was engaged in a coordinated effort to support the opposition, while the Liberal party also downplayed the links. During the campaign, Albanese said those explanations “don’t stack up”. Alleged voter intimidation Laxale said he and the government were concerned about reports alleging intimidation of voters, which he called “probably the most egregious example of things that crossed the line”. “The sheer number of participants in that process, I think, was intimidating to many voters, And so it’s just about understanding what happened there,” he said. “It’s not how our Australian democracy has been conducted in the past, and I think the community thinks that it shouldn’t be like that in the future. “Obviously, there’s a line to draw between our constitutional rights to participate in democracy, but I think, as I’ve said at this election, a line was crossed.” Submissions to the review are now open. Laxale said the inquiry would visit regional centres and capital cities over coming months. |