NSW Independent Candidates Can Get Public Money Early for Election Costs

Electoral Funding Amendment (Advance Payments) Bill 2026

Independent Bill

22 Sep 2026: MPs in the first house are debating whether this bill is a good idea in principle.

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

Introduced by: Joe McGirr (IND)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Independent candidates can now get advance public funding from the Election Campaigns Fund to help pay for general election costs.
Eligible independent candidates can receive 50% of their previous election funding before the election process starts, and another 25% after the writs are issued.
Independent candidates must pay back these advance payments if they do not contest the election.
Independent candidates must also pay back the money if they fail to claim their final payment within 120 days after the writs are returned.
To get these payments, a candidate must be a Member of Parliament, be registered for the election, and not be endorsed by a political party.
The candidate must also have been eligible for Election Campaigns Fund payments at the previous state election without being endorsed by a party.

Topics

campaign finance election funding elections electoral expenditure government funding independent candidates public funding

News articles and press releases

Electoral Funding Amendment (Advance Payments) Bill 2026

Dr JOE McGIRR, Member for Wagga Wagga — 2026-06-25

I note that the bill relates to advance funding. I acknowledge that Independent candidates have access to funds from the Electoral Commission to a similar degree as the parties, but Independent candidates have to find the funds first and are only able to claim reimbursements. Parties do not have to go through the process of fundraising for those funds. They can ask for an advance payment, which, of course, they then have to account for. That creates a natural advantage for parties. The bill says that elected Independents should have access to the same capacity to receive advance funding as parties. The bill does not change the accounting and repayment obligations for those funds, but it does provide the capacity to have an advance of those payments.