Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

Yes. I will keep a very close eye on Mr Moyes in relation to this to make sure that I am absolutely accurate on this for you, Senator Murray, because it is an important issue. At the moment, if you are becoming an Australian citizen, you can enrol only if you actually are an Australian citizen. Therefore, as the law stands, in that seven-day period after the writs are issued, you can become enrolled up until the end point of the seven days if you have become an Australian citizen. After that, if you have become an Australian citizen, you are denied the vote and you cannot vote. What we are saying in our amendment is that, in the three-day grace period that we are allowing for to change your details on the electoral roll after the writs are issued, where other citizens can seek to change their address et cetera, prospective citizens can provisionally enrol on the basis that they will become an Australian citizen right up to and including election day. So I think we are in fact increasing and expanding the potential franchise, especially for new Australians. I hope that explanation is sufficient to have Senator Murray withdraw his amendment.