Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, I reject the characterisation of our amendments as a significant change to the bill. They are not. Of course, we sought advice from the Electoral Commission about these amendments. As I have already indicated to you on several occasions now, the Electoral Commissioner gave me very firm advice that the Electoral Commission would need about three months between passage of the legislation and the successful implementation at an election. The amendments that are before the chair in relation to below-the-line voting do not actually make the system more complex. If anything, they make the system simpler. It certainly makes the algorithm simpler. In relation to the advice from the AEC to government about the resources that are required, of course the AEC has given us some indicative costings, but, as I have already indicated to you, that is not something that I can share with you, for the reasons that I have previously outlined. What I can tell you is that the AEC will have all of the necessary resources in order to ensure that this very important reform is effectively and professionally implemented.