David Feeney (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Madigan, I know it will not come as any surprise to you that I declare the government is not supporting the amendment proposed by you. I think I have already spoken, when dealing with the Australian Greens' amendments, about the reason for the government supporting the bill. I endorse the remarks just made by Senator Ryan, someone who has obviously contributed very seriously to the JSCEM process, and I know he has had a long and abiding interest in electoral matters and the laws governing Australian elections.

We do not believe that the changes are onerous. We do not believe that they will serve as a draconian disincentive to our citizens participating in elections. We are of a view that they strike the right balance in maintaining the integrity of our system and ensuring that our election system remains the strongest in the world.