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

No, I do not; I absolutely don't. As a matter of principle, I am of the view that all Australians should be able to participate in the democratic process. At a federal level, when it comes to federal elections, Australians should be able to participate in the electoral process based on all the rules and the laws at a federal level. And, at a state level, it should be governed by state laws. This legislation ensures that there is strict separation between the two. If the state parliament in Queensland wants to put in place certain arrangements in terms of how electoral arrangements are put in place and how company donations are to be organised, that is a matter for them and that is the law that applies in Queensland for state elections. A state parliament should not be able to impose different rules in one jurisdiction, when it comes to the conduct of federal elections, compared to those that apply in the rest of the country.