Labor fends off attack over electoral laws Federal Labor has fended off claims by independent MPs that electoral reforms are a "cute deal" between the major parties ahead of the September election. Labor and the coalition have settled on a deal that will provide them with the equivalent of $1 for every vote they receive at a federal election, on top of the millions they already get from taxpayers for campaign funding. Funding will be backdated to April 1 this year. The changes also lower the threshold for the disclosure of private donations, from $12,000 to $5000, and impose new limits on foreign donations. "All this is doing is locking in the two giants ... so they have this massive advantage over anybody else who wants to enter the playing field," independent MP Tony Windsor told reporters in Canberra. They're quite comfortable having both sides of the tennis court occasionally, but they don't want other players in the game. Another independent MP, Rob Oakeshott, says there is an irony about the start date of April 1, or April Fools' Day. "That really is symbolic of what seems to be going on over the last 48 hours and whatever cute little deal that has been cut by both parties," he told ABC radio. Mr Oakeshott also criticised the government's failure to push ahead with lowering the disclosure threshold to $1000. Cabinet minister Anthony Albanese said the government fought for but lost a vote on an earlier version of the reforms, including the $1000 threshold, in the Senate five years ago. Another attempt in 2009 lapsed with the end of the 42nd parliament. Mr Albanese said there would be a "significant strengthening of transparency" under the new laws and it had been achieved in a bipartisan way - which was important for any electoral reform. He said he saw nothing unusual in the administration payments being backdated to April. Asked whether the ALP was going broke, he said: "No." Treasurer Wayne Swan said public funding of parties ensured that "our political system is not captured by people with large amounts of money." The Australian Greens said the "weak compromise deal" on donations reform flies in the face of the Greens-Labor agreement signed after the 2010 election - even though that agreement is now void. Greens leader Christine Milne abandoned their deal with Labor in February, accusing the government of siding with mining companies. The Labor-Greens agreement called for a lowering of the donation disclosure threshold to $1000, banning anonymous donations of more $50 and creating a "truth in advertising" offence in electoral laws. "Increases in public funding for political parties should go hand-in-hand with tightening the tap on corporate donations and limiting election spending," Senator Milne told reporters. She said the party would consider amending the bill when it came to the Senate. Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said evidence being given at the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings in NSW showed there should be a clampdown on corporate donations.