Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

This bill addresses the issue of electoral fraud—how else could one describe the dissemination of such false and misleading information? The dissemination of false or misleading information designed to alter votes is no different from other acts of fraud, such as tampering with ballots or illegal voter registration, which coalition amendments to this bill seek to guard against. Put simply, the Prime Minister shamelessly lied to the Australian people just to win an election. All Australians should feel aggrieved by this act of gross betrayal. For the Australian electorate this is not only an unprecedented breach of faith; the dissemination of such blatantly false and misleading information is an act of electoral fraud.

If the Prime Minister wishes to punish working families with a carbon tax, if she wishes to punish them for driving a car, if she wishes to punish them for turning on the heater in winter or the air conditioning in summer, she owes it to our democracy and to those who have fought to protect it to call an election and seek a mandate from the people. If this Prime Minister seeks to punish small business with this carbon tax, if she seeks to push up people’s electricity bills and freight costs, she owes it to our democracy and those who have fought to protect it to call another election and seek a mandate from the people.

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