James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Those who are listening at home may hear the wittering away from opposition senators—opposition senators who wish to run a protection racket for voter fraud, and that is very sad. The proposal that the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters brought forward in its recommendation was that, if a voter is unable to present a valid ID on polling day, another enrolled voter with an ID can attest to their identity, or the voter can cast a declaration vote. The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has recommended that nearly all forms of ID can be accepted, from a Medicare card to a bill from a service provider. This will ensure that eligible voters will never be denied the opportunity to cast their vote. Declaration votes are already cast when a voter attends a polling booth in another state or is assigned to a neighbouring electorate. These are sensible reforms that will ensure the integrity of our elections. Having voter ID, having optional preferential voting and having the Robson rotation for House of Representatives ballot papers will ensure that our electoral system is fine-tuned, that it is improved, and that it is sanctified and protected for future elections. So it is time to deliver on optional preferential voting, the Robson rotation and voter ID laws.

Deputy President, I come from Queensland, and Queensland has been inundated with rain. We welcome rain. Just down the road from where I live, there is a community called Inglewood. Most of Inglewood spent last night on high ground away from their homes. The mayor of the local council there, Lawrence Springborg, was with his community throughout the night. I want to pay tribute to the community of Inglewood and the other communities in the broader Darling Downs who have been impacted by the recent rains. Indeed, photos have been sent to me of my own place. My house is luckily on a rise, but all the roads to it are under at least a metre of water. I'd like to thank all those who have been helping fellow members of the community across the Southern Downs and across the Darling Downs for the work they have done to help us get through this inundation. But the good news is that our dams are full.