Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

There's just one last contribution from me on this amendment. I accept that the government is doing some administrative measures in an attempt to increase First Nations enrolment and that those changes were made approximately two weeks ago. I accept that. I don't think it should be a choice between doing that and also having an on-the-day enrolment protection mechanism to scoop up anyone who hasn't availed themselves of your administrative opportunities. It doesn't need to be a choice between the two. You can actually do both and genuinely maximise First Nations enrolment. So I don't accept your premise that, because you're doing it now, you can't also have a safety net, if you like, to catch people on the day. I just think your logic there is a little lacking.

There is another point I'd like to make. You have mentioned that this will be considered by JSCEM, in the course of the electoral reforms. I'll just remind the chamber that, in fact, this bill was already considered by JSCEM, and the report recommends that this very change be adopted. The AEC made that suggestion, and the report says, 'What a great idea. Let's do it.' So I do really feel like you're punting the ball down the road a little, when JSCEM has already considered this matter and has already considered in a multipartisan way that this is an amendment that would ensure more people can vote and, in particular, more First Nations people can get on the roll. This is one last opportunity for the government to explain why they don't want to do this extra thing, which seems to have no detractors and no downsides, to help First Nations people vote.