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

In this Greens amendment to change commencement arrangements of this bill, the operative words are that they only apply to elections with a polling day after 1 July. So all of the other usual parts of an election, that process being triggered by the issuing of the writ, and everything that happens between the writ and polling day, would take place under the revised arrangements as per this legislation, if the Senate indeed passes this legislation. So the effect of this amendment is that this reform can only apply to an election with a polling day after 1 July 2016, and the advice that we have from the AEC is that that gives them sufficient time to ensure that they can make the necessary adjustments to the systems and also conduct the necessary and appropriate public education campaigns.