Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service and Integrity) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I present a supplementary explanatory memorandum to the bill and I move government amendments (1) and (2), as circulated, together:

(1) Schedule 3, items 3 and 4, page 21 (line 17) to page 22 (line 2), omit the items.

(2) Schedule 3, items 10 and 11, page 22 (lines 21 to 29), omit the items.

The Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Procedure) Bill 2012 implements three of the recommendations made by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in its report into the 2010 federal elections, specifically recommendations 12, 31 and 32. One of the proposed amendments sought to make a change to the Electoral Act relating to who may be enrolled and who may vote at elections. Following the introduction of the bill on 27 June, it was referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and I thank the members of that committee for their extensive review of the bill and of the matters that relate to it.

In reviewing the bill I am persuaded by the reasoning contained in the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters that the change to the act should not proceed as described in the original bill. I move government amendments to accept recommendations of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters to omit items 3, 4, 10 and 11 of schedule 3 to the bill.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to see that the government has accepted the recommendation of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, to which I referred this bill for investigation on the question of the use of the term 'of unsound mind'. It was an important issue to be dealt with. As I have said before, this was a unique occasion on which the government, the Greens and the opposition members all agreed on a single report. It is usually a very partisan report where we are clearly divided on political lines. On this occasion we came together and saw the sense of having this term, which has a determined meaning, remain in the act unchanged. I commend the government for accepting the report and for moving the amendments, which we, of course, accede to.

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.