An Australian barrister - who has challenged the Federal Government before - says people should be wary of the disproportionate spend on the “Yes” campaign for the upcoming local government referendum.

NSW barrister Bryan Pape has come out against the government before, when he took to the High Court to dispute Kevin Rudd’s $900 bonus to 7 million Australians in 2009. Pape argued the handout was a gift and therefore not a valid use of the Commonwealth's taxation powers. Now Mr Pape is questioning the Government’s validity again, this time taking it to task on the cost of the campaign for a “Yes” vote.

"I think in the Budget they put up a cost of $55.6 million; $44 million to hold the referendum and $11.6 million said to be for a so-called National Civics Education Campaign... most of that $11.6-million will be spent on the 'yes' vote."

Mr Pape is concerned about the wildly disproportionate figures allocated for both sides of the argument, calling it undemocratic and suspicious; “The whole purpose of this is really about the Commonwealth attempting to, in my view, pork-barrel and that's what all this exercise is about... it will be about the Commonwealth trying to fund marginal seats through the local government."

"Pork-barrel" in this context refers to a political project whose intention is to ingratiate residents to legislators.