Gary Nairn (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Hansard source

The government does not support the amendments. With respect to amendments (1) to (5), (16), (19) and (22), the government remains firmly of the view that people who commit offences against society sufficient to warrant a full-time prison term should not be entitled to elect the leaders of the society which makes the laws that they have disregarded. This will bring Australia into line with many other Western countries, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium and the majority of states in the United States of America.

I dealt with amendments (6) to (15) and (17) to (18) in great detail in my summing up. The member for Calare probably did not listen to my summing up and to the facts about the early closure of the roll. To save some time, for the reasons that I set out in very clear terms in my speech summing up the debate we oppose these amendments.

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