Australia is experiencing declining support for major parties, rising electoral success for independents and minor parties, and increasing public concern about the responsiveness of its democratic institutions. This paper examines the implications of these shifts, including recent federal election trends, emerging public attitudes towards minority governments and historical examples of parliamentary adaptation.

This factsheet identifies six key reforms to redress the unfairness created by the Commonwealth’s new political finance laws, and make real progress on combatting the influence of vested interests on the exercise of public power.

State capture occurs when powerful or wealthy interests interfere with decision-making and assume a degree of control over the democratic rule-making process itself. This report breaks down six modes of influence used in State capture.