NSW Elected Members and Parties Must Declare They Did Not Get Double Payments for Admin Costs

Electoral Funding Amendment Bill 2025

24 Jun 2025: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

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Topics

election funding elections electoral commission government accountability political party payments public finance public funding

Introduced by: The Hon Jenny Aitchison MP (ALP); The Hon John Graham MLC (ALP)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Elected members must declare they aren't claiming an additional entitlement for the same administrative expense; this applies when they claim payment from the Administration Fund.
The Electoral Commission can force an elected member to declare they won't claim an additional entitlement; this happens if their party agent has already claimed from the Administration Fund.
Elected members and parties lose eligibility for Administration Fund payments if they claim both the fund payment and an additional entitlement for the same item.
Parties and members lose their quarterly Administration Fund payments if they fail to provide a required declaration.
The Electoral Commission can sue in court to recover Administration Fund payments; this occurs if a member later receives an additional entitlement for the same expense.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Chris Rath LIB

“The Opposition will be supporting the Electoral Funding Amendment Bill 2025. Currently, elected members of Parliament, and Independent members of Parliament in particular, may intentionally or unintentionally double dip when seeking reimbursement for administrative expenses.”

Official source →

John Graham ALP

“I thank the Opposition for its support. I thank the members who engaged with the bill in the Legislative Assembly. I particularly thank the Cabinet Office staff, Christine Collins and Sarah Roebuck, who have been instrumental in bringing the bill before the House.”

Official source →

News articles and press releases

Second Reading Speech, Electoral Funding Amendment Bill 2025

Ms JENNY AITCHISON, Minister for Roads — 2025-05-13

The Electoral Funding Amendment Bill 2025 proposes amendments to the Electoral Funding Act 2018 in relation to payments from the Administration Fund under part 5 of that Act. The bill clarifies the relationship between the entitlement of elected Independent members and political parties to payments from the Administration Fund and members' additional entitlements under the Parliamentary Remuneration Act 1989. Firstly, the bill amends the definition of administrative expenditure so that expenses can be claimed from the Administration Fund even if an item may also be claimed as an additional entitlement under the Parliamentary Remuneration Act 1989.