In the 2013 federal election, taxpayers paid $56.4 million in public funding, on top of private donations to political parties totalling $266 million.

For instance, the Liberal/National parties received $137 million in private donations but also collected $26 million from taxpayers, based on an Electoral Commission rate of $2.59 per vote.

The ALP received $78 million in donations plus $20 million in campaign funding, and the Greens $22 million in donations and $5.4 million in public funding.

We are contributing to this ballooning funding of election campaigns, when a cap on expenditure would achieve two things:

A reasonable cap would create a level playing field and it would guard against deep pockets buying favour with political parties.

It would get the corporate world off the back of the major parties and it would save the ALP from being a captive of unions. If the ALP is the party of the union movement it doesn't need any financial persuasion.

Similarly, if the Coalition is the champion of private enterprise and individual freedom it doesn't need any corporate persuasion.

A cap on spending, similar to the cap in our own Legislative Council elections, saves taxpayers' money and fights against bribery as a corruptive influence.

It is naive to think that donors just want to help their side to win. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch. If a donor puts millions of dollars into your pocket, even legally, it is naive to think this generosity would not influence your decision-making.

Why must election campaigns resemble Big Bash cricket? There is something odd about a taxpayer paying to be bombarded with propaganda. A spending cap would still fund election campaigns, but just more democratically.