Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

I do. Senator Fielding was not here when the debate was under way. For clarification for the senator—and the minister can correct me if he feels it is wrong—the government’s proposed amendment effectively deals with two separate sets of people who are about to become citizens of Australia. For one set of people who got their citizenship within the seven days after the issue of the writs, their period for registration to vote in the election is shortened. They lose enfranchisement. It goes down from seven days to three days. A second set of people who were formerly going to be unable to vote, because they became citizens after the seventh day but before the day of the election, will now be entitled to enrol to vote if their citizenship ceremony occurs after the third day and before the election day. So it is two separate sets of people. Mr Chairman, I urge that we take the vote and move on on this one.