THE coming election, which may be as early as March next year, may be your last chance to elect an independent candidate. Future elections will be covered by changes to electoral laws pushed through parliament this week.

The new laws cap electoral funding so low that it will make it hard for independents to succeed, while major parties will benefit from the increase in public funding for each vote a candidate receives.

Independents standing as local community representatives will not reap the benefits that will accrue to parties that stand multi-candidate slates. The party system will be entrenched and local community representatives sidelined.

While Labor and the Coalition parties go head-to-head on issues such housing, migration and tax, stalling important reforms as they score political points, they are happy to agree on changing electoral laws that are to their own benefit.

The coming election will be critical for our community to elect a community independent who will fight for local needs. We are lucky to have Deb Leonard who has put her hand up to do just that. But this may be the last time we will have the chance to support this kind of commitment to community service.

John Tebbutt, Meeniyan