Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the sustained and dedicated effort by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to increase the enrolment of all Australians, with a particular focus on the two cohorts of Australians who have long been under-represented on the electoral roll, being First Nations Australians and young people aged between 18 and 24 years;

(2) recognises that as a result of the Government ensuring the AEC had the appropriate resources to improve enrolment:

(a) for the first time since records have existed, enrolment of Australians aged between 18 and 24 year is now over 90 per cent; and

(b) estimated First Nations enrolment has increased in every state and territory to the highest it has ever been so that:

(i) nationwide it is now at 94.1 per cent, up from 84.5 per cent just six months ago; and

(ii) in the Northern Territory it is now at 87.0 per cent, up from 76.7 per cent six months ago; and

(3) condemns the former Government, for failing to appropriately resource the AEC to take action to improve enrolment of First Nations Australians, including by cutting AEC personnel in the Northern Territory who were addressing these matters.

This is a proud moment for the Australian people and for the Australian government, because finally we are making huge strides in Indigenous enrolment. When we came to government, Indigenous enrolment was at 84 per cent. In just one year, we have raised this to 94 per cent. In one year we have enrolled 10 per cent of the Indigenous population. I want to thank the Australian Electoral Commission for its work. I know there are many hardworking AEC staff out there working with people on the ground to get them signed up to vote.

Voting is important for our mob, particularly in the Northern Territory. For so long policy has been made around and for Aboriginal people, and for a long time Aboriginal people in large parts of Australia didn't have the right to vote. This was structural and intentionally provided for in the same Constitution which some opponents of the Voice have been trying to say shouldn't have race introduced into it. Let's just remember how things were planned out by the framers of that Constitution. Section 24 said the numbers of House of Representatives members for each state would depend on the state population. Section 25 said, and still says:

… if by the law of any State all persons of any race are disqualified from voting at elections … persons of that race resident in that State shall not be counted.

In other words, the framers of the Constitution were expecting that, in at least some states, people would be excluded from voting on racial grounds, and that's what happened to Aboriginal people in Western Australia, in Queensland and, from 1922, in the Northern Territory. They were prohibited from voting, and the way it worked was that you were prohibited from voting in your state or territory jurisdiction if you couldn't vote in a Commonwealth election.

That wasn't fixed for Commonwealth elections until 1962. I was born in 1960. At that time the parliament I now stand in didn't accept me as having an equal say as a non-Aboriginal person in this country. That is not ancient history; this is one generation. Section 25 of our Constitution still contemplates and accepts racial discrimination in relation to voting at the state level of government in our country. People ask, 'Why do we need a Voice in the Constitution?' Part of the answer to that question is that, without a Voice, the Constitution remains a document marked and scarred by our recent history.

It took us 12 months to increase the Indigenous enrolment rate by over 10 per cent. In the Northern Territory this could have been achieved years ago, but instead what we saw under the Morrison Liberal-National government was a huge withdrawal of AEC resources. Those opposite should hang their heads in shame. Don't go talking about what's good for Indigenous people now. You clearly didn't have an interest when you were in government.

This government cares. Come the 2023 referendum, more Indigenous people will have a say than ever before. In the Northern Territory there has been significant headway. For our remote communities this is huge. In 2022 the Indigenous enrolment rate was 76.7 per cent. It now sits at 89 per cent. This is a huge feat, and one we should all be proud of.

I want to thank the Special Minister of State, Don Farrell, for his support and the resourcing of the AEC. Senator Farrell certainly has had many a letter from me saying that we need to do more on Indigenous enrolment. I thank the senator for his dedication and his commitment. Once again I reinforce and thank all the staff of the Australian Electoral Commission, who have done a fantastic job going around the Northern Territory and into our remote communities and enrolling a lot of our people who have been isolated or disengaged from the voting system.

Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion moved by the member for Lingiari. There are elements that are obviously extremely political that I don't agree with or accept as criticism of the coalition, but I certainly support the principle of this motion, which is celebrating improvements in Indigenous enrolment. Beyond question, I think that's an excellent achievement, but a job not done. I'm certainly in support of ensuring that everyone who is entitled to participate in our democracy can participate in our democracy. It has absolutely been very regrettable and unacceptable that, for an extended period of time—probably always—the statistics around Indigenous enrolment have not met the population-wide levels. We want to have every Indigenous Australian participating in our democracy and we will address in any way we can ways to ensure that Indigenous enrolment is at least meeting the standards and statistics that are the case for the rest of the population.

I certainly welcome that outcome, but it does provide an opportunity to address the second challenge, particularly in Northern Territory remote communities—and this has been highlighted in the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters hearings I've participated in—of the intimidation of Indigenous voters. After the 2019 election we held our standard electoral matters inquiry into the election and received some very concerning evidence in that inquiry regarding the intimidation of Indigenous voters. The best encapsulation of this was evidence received from Mrs Bess Price, whose daughter now serves in the Senate here. In her contribution to the evidence she made a very important point. She said:

In the 2019 federal election I was up in Milingimbi, up north. There was a Labor man there staring people down. He came and eyeballed me and threatened me for talking to people and informing them of what their rights were. He was aggressive throughout the day, and he often had members of the community walk in with other elders of the community to show them how to vote and who to vote for.

We managed to get a hold of AEC staff inside the building, and we told them: 'Keep an eye out for these fellows. They're the ones who are going in.' I've seen people going in with them and showing them how to vote, and using language—Yolngu matha was broadcasting on the radio throughout the day saying who to vote for in language. We were told that the unions had paid that radio station to broadcast in language who to vote for, and it was Labor.

How appalling and disgraceful!

Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's not true!

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, that's actually evidence under parliamentary privilege. What an accusation to make! And it has been sitting there for four years, undisputed. No-one has rebutted that, and that was an eyewitness testimony from Mrs Bess Price to the Electoral Matters Committee in September 2020.

Regrettably, we've had other comment publicly in recent times regarding the intimidation of Indigenous voters around community consultation as well—around decisions in Alice Springs. Certainly, comment has been made about the way in which the process of community consultation is influenced and impacted through that sort of intimidation. I absolutely welcome improving and increasing Indigenous enrolment and, at the same time, also making sure that every element of Indigenous participation in our democracy is something that we respect and protect. Evidence of intimidation of voters anywhere, and particularly in Indigenous communities, is something that we need to look at closely and consider: who is doing this? How do we find the actors that are seeking to influence the democratic right of people to cast a secret ballot for the person they actually want to vote for, rather than being intimidated into voting for someone that they're told to vote for? That evidence is very regrettable, and the success in Indigenous enrolment presents us now with a good opportunity to also address this concerning evidence and the claims of the intimidation and influence of people seeking to participate our democracy.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to rise and speak on this motion put by my friend and colleague the member for Lingiari. We are lucky to live in a democracy where the right to vote is fundamental to our identity. But it's not just that Australia has compulsory voting; a strong democracy depends on all citizens being able to participate equally, no matter who you are or where you live. But we know that there are barriers to voting in this country that affect some Australians more than others. Historically, there are two particular cohorts who have been underrepresented on the electoral roll, and they are First Nations Australians and young people aged between 18 and 24 years.

We are a government that is determined to ensure we have a healthy democracy. A healthy democracy makes sure that all members of its community have equal access to the political process. I am pleased to stand here to acknowledge the dedicated work of the Australian Electoral Commission and some 80 community partners who are working with great success to help enrol and engage these underrepresented groups of voters. It is amazing just what can be achieved with some proper resourcing of the Australian Electoral Commission and some political goodwill.

Among people aged between 18 and 24 years, for the first time since records have existed, enrolment is now over 90 per cent. The AEC set out with a target of achieving an enrolment rate of 87 per cent among this cohort by June, and it has easily surpassed this goal. First Nations enrolment is now at the highest level that it has ever been. What an amazing thing to celebrate! This is in every state and territory. Over the last six months the rate has risen from 84.45 per cent to a record high of 94.1 per cent. That means 60,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have enrolled to vote since last year. Now there is just a difference of 3.4 per cent between the estimated Indigenous enrolment rate and the national enrolment rate—what an amazing achievement! In New South Wales, Indigenous enrolment has increased over the last six months from 91.3 per cent to 97.5 per cent, the second highest enrolment rate in the country. In the Northern Territory, which has historically held the lowest First Nations enrolment rates, there has been a monumental jump from 76.7 per cent in December to 87 per cent today.

These are successes that should be celebrated, but they have not just happened by chance. In the 2023-24 budget, the Albanese Labor government provided $16.1 million over two years to the AEC to increase First Nations enrolment and participation in future electoral events. The AEC has adopted new solutions and targeted approaches to achieve this goal. For example, direct enrolment is now easier for people who do not have a mail delivery service to their residence. It's a common issue in remote communities, where mail is delivered to a central point. Earlier this year, the Special Minister of State endorsed a regulatory change to introduce Medicare cards as an additional form of identity for enrolling, making it easier for people who don't have an Australian drivers licence or passport to prove who they are when they're enrolling. I am proud to be part of a government that prioritises the enfranchisement of its people.

Contrast that with the last 10 years, where we had a Liberal government that ripped resources out of the Electoral Commission and tried to introduce policies that would negatively affect turnout and Indigenous participation. This included trying, and thankfully failing, to introduce a bill that would require photo ID on election day. This was a policy that would have disproportionately affected Indigenous Australians living in remote communities. As we head towards a referendum on the Voice to Parliament later this year, ensuring that First Nations Australians have input into Australia's democracy and a say in matters that impact their lives and community is especially important.

According to the AEC commissioner, Tom Rogers:

The referendum will have the best base for democratic participation of any federal electoral event in Australia's history.

That is something that every Australian should feel proud of. That is something that this government is especially proud of. I hope to see those voter numbers forever increase.

Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order for the next sitting.