Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State and Scrutiny of Government Waste) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

I just want to make a couple of quick comments and confirm that Senator Fifield will be making a quick contribution as well. I can say that we will be supporting this, which will not be surprising given that we were the government who actually introduced the trial in the first place to give the blind and visually impaired the right that so many other Australians take for granted. It was an expensive undertaking, but I understand that the coalition members on the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters supported the recommendation on the basis that it was not a matter that they were prepared to make a political football. I know for a fact that they were deeply concerned about it and indeed I think some common sense has prevailed.

It is hard to believe that the chair’s report in relation to this matter was not in some way driven by either an implicit or a clear understanding of the government’s desire in relation to this matter. I think that was clearly reflected in the chair’s report, which the coalition members did in the end agree to with great reluctance so that such an important matter was not seen as a political football. Clearly, the government has had substantial feedback from the disability sector in relation to the impact of the recommendation—quite rightly so—and we now see these changes.

It is not reasonable to describe this interim measure as providing people with the opportunity to cast a secret and independent vote when you look at it in the context of what was available under the trial. For starters, under the trial people were actually able to cast a vote on polling day, so they were joining the general community in relation to their right to cast a vote. At the moment, they have to go into a divisional office. They will be put in a room and will actually be required to ring someone and advise them of what their vote is. I do not care what the definition is, but surely a secret and independent vote does not include going into a room, sitting there and ringing someone they have not met to advise them of what their vote is. That is not a secret and independent vote. Do not call it something it is not. Do not gild the lily. It is a vehicle to provide the visually impaired and the blind with an option to vote pending some final resolution of this matter, but it should not be described as a secret and independent vote. It is most definitely not.

We welcome these changes. I am pleased that what would appear to be the government’s stated intention in relation to their desired outcome from these trials has indeed changed and, when these amendments are moved, they will receive the coalition’s full support.