Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the remarks of the last couple of speakers, particularly those in relation to the government’s proposition about extending the franchise. In her recent paper, ‘Damaging democracy? Early closure of the electoral rolls’, Marian Sawer from the ANU makes it quite clear that closing the roll when an election is announced will disenfranchise about 80,000 new voters and impact particularly on young people. And, as Senator Faulkner said a little while ago, the reduction in time for voters on the roll to change their address details will create difficulties for some 200,000 people. She also says:

In 2001 83 000 first-time voters enrolled in the week between the issuing of the writs and the closing of the roll.

That is 83,000. Sawer goes on to say:

Many put off enrolling until an election is announced. Other comparable democracies are trying to increase the electoral participation of young people, with Canada—