Independent MP Kate Chaney has introduced a private member's bill aimed at banning a controversial practice used by political parties to collect personal data under the guise of postal vote assistance. Speaking in the House of Representatives, Chaney criticised the widespread distribution of postal vote application letters that mislead voters into believing their information is going directly to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). Instead, the data is routed through party-affiliated processing centres, which she described as "politicians' data harvesting centres".
Chaney warned that the current system compromises the integrity of Australia's electoral process and risks undermining public trust. “Our democracy is precious and fragile and we need to do everything we can to protect it,” she stated, stressing the need for transparency. Highlighting the extent of the issue, she detailed the personal information being collected—including names, addresses, dates of birth, contact details, security questions and answers, and signatures—often without voters’ full awareness.
Political parties, candidates and third-party groups are currently permitted to promote postal voting and to distribute and collect applications. During the 2025 federal election, over 316,000 paper applications were received by the AEC from third parties—constituting nearly 75% of all paper submissions. Additionally, many voters accessed the AEC’s online forms via third-party websites, further expanding the reach of data collection by political actors.
Chaney’s initiative has received support from other members of the crossbench, including Monique Ryan, who raised ethical concerns about the practice. Ryan questioned whether voters would have willingly provided such sensitive information had they known it would be handled by political parties rather than the electoral commission.
The AEC itself raised flags during the last election, cautioning against the use of unsolicited third-party forms due to risks of privacy breaches and potential delays in processing. Despite these warnings, more than 2.5 million people applied for a postal vote in the May federal election, with 2.3 million successfully returning their ballots.
Chaney’s bill seeks to restore voter confidence and ensure that election-related communications from political entities are clear, honest, and non-manipulative. Her proposal aligns with a broader push among independents for reforms that reinforce democratic integrity and transparency, particularly in how political parties interact with voters during elections.