Cash flow crunch leaves political parties $7m short and Nepean candidate in limbo

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","dateModified":"2026-04-28T04:24:03Z","datePublished":"2026-04-28T04:24:03Z","description":"High-level talks to restore the state’s campaign finance laws are underway, but Nepean byelection candidates such as Tracee Hutchison face further uncertainty.","headline":"Cash flow crunch leaves political parties $7m short and Nepean candidate in limbo","keywords":"Victorian election, High Court of Australia, Political donations, For subscribers","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chip Le Grand","jobTitle":"State political editor","url":"/by/chip-le-grand-p4yvib"}],"mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/cash-flow-crunch-leaves-political-parties-7m-short-and-nepean-candidate-in-limbo-20260427-p5zrdc.html","@type":"WebPage"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":"1322.6666666666665","url":"https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.3548%2C$multiply_0.7025%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_693%2C$y_334/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/0e2ed9ba3b91f46d7d42499b595c9aec4350bbf7","width":"744"},"isAccessibleForFree":false,"hasPart":[{"@type":"WebPageElement","isAccessibleForFree":false,"cssSelector":".paywall"}],"publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","name":"The Sydney Morning Herald","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":"628","url":"https://www.smh.com.au/metro-assets/assets/static/smh.png","width":"1200"},"url":"https://www.smh.com.au"},"isPartOf":{"@type":["CreativeWork","Product"],"name":"The Sydney Morning Herald","productID":"smh.com.au:webonly"}}{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/politics","name":"Politics"},"position":1},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria","name":"Victoria"},"position":2},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/topic/victorian-election-jdw","name":"Victorian election"},"position":3}]}AdvertisementExclusivePoliticsVictoriaVictorian electionCash flow crunch leaves political parties $7m short and Nepean candidate in limboChip Le GrandApril 28, 2026 — 2:24pmSaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.ShareAAAThe cash flow crunch caused by the High Court’s decision to turf out campaign finance laws show there’s more than seven million reasons for the Allan government and Liberal-led Opposition to restore public funding for political parties and candidates in Victoria.However, the major parties have been warned that any attempt to stitch up a deal which bakes in their funding advantage over minor parties and independents will land them back in court.Independent candidates Paul Hopper and Melissa Lowe after winning their High Court case against the Victorian government’s campaign finance law.Simon SchluterVictorian Electoral Commission figures published before this month’s High Court decision, which abolished the state’s system of donation caps, disclosure requirements and public funding for election campaigns, show that Labor and the Coalition were entitled to a combined $24.3 million in electoral funding for the current, four-year parliamentary term.The funding was available to all political parties or independent candidates which received four per cent or more of the vote at the 2022 state election.AdvertisementThe major parties were separately entitled to $17.6 million in administrative funding, which can be used to pay for…

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