Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I disagree with the basic premise of this proposition, but the point is: anyone who is eligible to participate—to exercise their democratic rights—in the electoral process, including by financially supporting their party of choice in Western Australia, in South Australia, in Tasmania, in New South Wales or in Victoria should have that same right in Queensland. State laws should not interfere with the capacity of an individual Australian to contribute to a federal electoral process. I think that that's an entirely unremarkable, uncontroversial proposition. You might have a view that federal electoral laws should be designed differently. I've heard you make these arguments before, and that's fine. But, in the end, federal law should govern the conduct of federal elections without inappropriate interference of any state law.