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

The Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Electoral Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2006 will enhance Australia’s electoral system. We have a very good electoral system in this country, but that does not mean that it cannot be enhanced. Indeed, these measures are about making it more robust, fair and rigorous. As a result, people will be able to have even greater confidence in our electoral system. Confidence in our electoral system is vital to the acceptance by the people of the electoral outcomes. What problems does this bill address? It addresses a number of them. I will go through them in some sort of order. I will also try and glean from the contributions of various senators what the themes were.

First of all, in relation to tightening up the electoral roll, Senator Andrew Bartlett, the Deputy Leader of the Democrats, told us that the key aim of the Commonwealth Electoral Act is to make it as easy as possible for people to get on the electoral roll. No; wrong. The Commonwealth Electoral Act should make it as easy as possible for people to get onto the electoral roll, subject to the appropriate tests being in place to ensure that the roll cannot be rorted.

I was absolutely astounded to hear and read in some of the speeches by opposition senators the suggestion that electoral fraud does not exist in this country. Senator Carr made the mistake; Senator Webber did. Every—