Labor and the Coalition united three times last week to defy the expressed desire of voters, on gambling, on disability and on the power of tech companies, according to former independent MP Zoe Daniel.
Writing for Guardian Australia, Daniel argued the two-party system is 'cooked', with both major parties prioritising political survival over community concern.
Deals in the dark
Daniel said that on the recommendations of the Murphy report, on the NDIS and on media diversity, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese chose to deal 'in the dark' with Labor's nominal enemy rather than with a crossbench offering proposals better reflecting public desire.
She criticised the gambling reform package, saying voters remain 'sickened at the literal death toll from gambling harm, the women and children hurt, the money sucked out of their communities into the coffers of largely multinational gambling companies, big sport and big broadcasting'.
Declining support
Daniel noted that support for the major parties has declined to about 50% in total, with some voters turning to One Nation and others leaning independent for transparency and accountability.
She warned that the coalition of convenience between the major parties could compound the loss of trust and voter support, describing it as 'the ultimate display of self-interest'.
Daniel concluded: 'If democracy is in essence a contract between people and power, that contract is broken. We will all wear the consequences.'
