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

Thank you, Mr Temporary Chairman. Whilst I appreciate what Senator Abetz is saying, the point here is that he was the one claiming to extend the franchise in relation to this matter. I am pointing out that he is wrong about that and explaining why. If necessary, we will repeat it again and perhaps later in the night he will change his mind.

What I was saying is that Canada allows young people to enrol on the day they turn up to vote. New Zealand gives them until the day before the election. In New Zealand they can now ask for their enrolment form through a free text message, which is very popular with young people. Australia is intending to close its electoral roll for new voters far earlier than comparable democracies and at least 33 days before an election. What is happening here is the attempt to prevent at least 83,000 young people from getting on the roll. I am aware that Senator Abetz has previously denied that there is any malevolence in this. He says: ‘Well, the writs are issued in Tasmania and New South Wales straight away and no-one has ever claimed that there is a democratic deficit in those states.’ But in fact, as Professor Sawer points out, in Tasmania the Electoral Act requires there to be at least five days between the proclamation dissolving parliament and the issuing of the writs. So it is disingenuous for the minister to suggest that somehow what he is doing is a similar practice.

I make the point quite clearly that, whilst the minister may be claiming to extend the franchise, in fact we are seeing the early closing of the roll and the absence of fixed terms making sure that a large number of young people—no doubt more than 80,000, come next year’s federal election—will be prevented from voting. Of course it is no coincidence that a large number of those young people tend to vote for progressive parties. One cannot help but think there is another agenda running here in terms of the reason for closing the rolls. This is an antidemocratic measure. And to try to suggest that the provisions in relation to citizenship are somehow extending the rolls, well, we will see—the proof will be in the pudding after next year.