Peter Andren (Calare, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move my amendments (1) to (19) and (22) together:

(1)    Schedule 1, item 3, page 5 (lines 12-14), omit the item.

(2)    Schedule 1, item 4, page 5 (lines 15-25), omit the item.

(3)    Schedule 1, item 14, page 7 (lines 14-15), omit the item.

(4)    Schedule 1, item 15, page 7 (lines 16-22), omit the item.

(5)    Schedule 1, item 16, page 7 (lines 23-25), omit the item.

(6)    Schedule 1, item 20, page 8 (lines 9-11), omit the item.

(7)    Schedule 1, item 24, page 8 (lines 26-28), omit the item.

(8)    Schedule 1, item 28, page 9 (lines 13-15), omit the item.

(9)    Schedule 1, item 39, page 13 (lines 18-19), omit the item.

(10)  Schedule 1, item 40, page 13 (lines 20-22), omit the item.

(11)  Schedule 1, item 41, page 13 (line 23) to page 14 (line 17) , omit the item.

(12)  Schedule 1, item 42, page 14 (lines 18-19), omit the item.

(13)  Schedule 1, item 43, page 14 (lines 20-21), omit the item.

(14)  Schedule 1, item 44, page 14 (lines 22-24), omit the item.

(15)  Schedule 1, item 45, page 14 (lines 25-26), omit the item.

(16)  Schedule 1, item 50, page 15 (line 14) to 16 (line 8), omit the item.

(17)  Schedule 1, item 51, page 16 (lines 9-10), omit the item.

(18)  Schedule 1, item 52, page 16 (lines 11-12), omit the item.

(19)  Schedule 1 item 61, page 17 (lines 24-27), omit the item.

(22)  Schedule 1, item 66, (page 18 (lines 19-20), omit the item.

These amendments and a subsequent set that I will be moving make the necessary changes to restore transparency to the Commonwealth Electoral Act and enhance the electoral process to improve its ability to deliver the best representative democracy possible rather than the best democracy that money can buy.

Amendments (1) to (5), (16), (19) and (22) will retain the status quo with regard to prisoner voting. I spoke in opposition to the disenfranchisement of prisoners on three separate occasions in the last parliament and I reiterate my opposition now. The right to vote, to have a say in who governs the country and even, at a state level, who runs the prisons, is a basic human right and as a right is not something that should be taken away by politicians. This was also the view of a past joint standing committee of this parliament that adopted a recommendation that all prisoners, except those convicted of treason, be granted the right to vote. Nothing has changed my view. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am finding it very difficult to concentrate with the noise.

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