Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Confidence in electoral processes is essential to safeguarding the integrity of our democratic institutions. The knowledge that one person gets one vote, that your vote matters and that your vote is counted is a pillar of our democracy. Free and fair elections are the foundation upon which our representative government stands. Australia has the most robust and resilient democracy in the world. This is something that every Australian should be proud of, not just here in the parliament but in every community including in my electorate of Lindsay.

This is because it impacts every Australian. We cannot take this for granted and we cannot be complacent, particularly when attempts to erode trust in and the integrity of our democratic institutions place them under threat. The Morrison government recognises what an important duty it is to consistently improve confidence in our voting process and strengthen its protections. That's why we're taking this proactive approach, embarking on a range of important measures to ensure the security, accuracy and transparency of voting. These are sensible reforms that preserve and enhance our proud democratic system. The Report on the conduct of the 2016 federal election and matters related thereto recommend these important changes.

In Australia, we're proud of our electoral system, which allows our senators to be chosen by the fairest counting system in the world. This bill will ensure that the Electoral Commissioner can ensure the accuracy of counted votes through computer scrutiny. A significant sample of ballot papers will be checked during the course of the scrutiny at each counting centre. This data will be compared with the electronic data captured by the computerised count of physical ballot papers and will be opened to inspection by scrutineers. If a scrutineer requests a physical ballot paper to be recalled during the computerised scrutiny of Senate votes, if a voter's preference cannot be determined using the scanned image of the ballot paper it can be resolved using the physical ballot paper. This bill will legislate the requirement for detailed data on both votes and preferences in Senate elections to be published within seven days after the return of the writs. While the AEC already carries this out on a voluntary basis, this now formally legislates the process.

Our unique system utilises a computerised scrutiny of votes using computers to ensure every preference of every vote is counted. The system is robust and voters deserve the right to know it is secure. That's why this bill will require the Electoral Commissioner to arrange for a security risk assessment of the systems used for the computerised scrutiny of votes in a Senate election. The assessment must be conducted by an independent provider who is accredited by the Australian Signals Directorate before each Senate election. The Australian Signals Directorate is vital member of Australia's national security community and, alongside our other national security agencies, plays a vital role in ensuring the integrity of our democracy.

Lastly, the bill also requires the Electoral Commissioner to arrange for an independent accuracy assessment of the counting software used in the scrutiny of Senate votes to ensure it is accurate and in accordance with the processes set out in the Electoral Act. The AEC will publish the assurance of the accuracy of the software to the appropriate standard in advance of each election.

This bill is one of a range of measures we are taking to safeguard and strengthen the integrity of our elections, including providing the Australian Electoral Commission with additional flexibility to conduct elections during times of emergency and introducing photo identification requirements for in-person voting. In addition, the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Contingency Measures) Bill 2021 will introduce powers for the Electoral Commissioner to make limited operational modifications to the Electoral Act where a Commonwealth emergency law is in force. These measured, sensible modifications could add the flexibility to grant an additional week of prepoll in areas specifically affected by an emergency, or expand the reasons a voter can apply for a postal vote.

In addition, the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Voter Integrity) Bill 2021 will further strengthen the integrity of elections and the rights of every voter. When voters show identification on polling day we reduce voter impersonation, fraudulent votes and the investigative work required to find them, and we give honest voters confidence their vote counts in the way it should. Voter fraud should not be tolerated to any extent. Even the smallest amount of voter fraud is too much fraud. No-one will be turned away or denied the opportunity to vote under this bill, with there being a wide range of identification acceptable or the ability for a voter to have their identity attested by another enrolled person who has identification or the opportunity to make a declaration vote.

In conclusion, the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Assurance of Senate Counting) Bill 2021 complements these important measures to safeguard our democracy through the protection of our free and fair elections. The Morrison government will relentlessly pursue measures that protect and promote Australia's national interests. The integrity of our elections matters greatly to every Australian, and I'm proud to support these important safeguards.

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