Page 964 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 April 1994
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I accept certain consequential amendments the Government proposes which would have the effect of not making it compulsory for those persons to vote. That would make some sense in the circumstances, and that is the situation as it ensues in the Commonwealth electoral arena. To exclude them altogether from the right to vote, I think, is quite unnecessary. I would suggest that the Assembly should pass this amendment and then consider, as time goes by, the implication of this provision. I suppose it could be argued that it provides some capacity for rorting if people wanted to come in in large numbers from outside the ACT to cast votes. I have my doubts about whether that would be likely to occur. Until there is evidence of that kind of rorting, I believe that we should support the right of all people who are resident within the ACT to exercise their democratic right and cast a vote.
MS SZUTY (5.37): I would like to indicate to the Assembly that I will be supporting this amendment proposed by Mr Humphries. I think it strikes at the heart of enabling people as far as possible to cast votes and is a very sensible provision to enable itinerant voters to vote in Assembly elections. I am aware that the Chief Minister has foreshadowed some amendments, should Mr Humphries's amendment to this provision succeed, and I indicate that I will be supporting those foreshadowed amendments also.
MR MOORE (5.37): Madam Speaker, like a number of the other issues, this issue, as Mr Humphries rightly points out, is a question of balance. He raised the possibility of rorting, so we balance that against the benefit of enabling people to vote. On balance, on this occasion, Madam Speaker, I come down on the side of supporting Mr Humphries. I believe that it is an appropriate amendment.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (5.38): Madam Speaker, the Government will be opposing Mr Humphries's amendment. I should say at the outset that I do so with some reluctance because, obviously, I have the greatest sympathy with itinerant electors and clearly wish to ensure that the greatest number of people possible do have an opportunity to take part in any democratic process. I oppose the amendment put by Mr Humphries with great reluctance, but I do ask that members listen to what I have to say about it.
The amendment that Mr Humphries proposed would allow people who are itinerant electors under the Commonwealth Electoral Act to enrol for and to vote in the ACT Legislative Assembly elections. Itinerant electors are electors who do not have a permanent place of living and who enrol under the Commonwealth Electoral Act for an address for which they have a close connection; but such a connection could include the address for which the person was last entitled to be enrolled, the place where the person's next of kin is enrolled currently, the place where the person was born or, if none of those apply, the place with which the person has the closest connection.
Given those criteria, there is no guarantee that a person who is enrolled as an itinerant elector for Commonwealth purposes has any ongoing connection with the ACT. Therefore, Madam Speaker, the effect of Mr Humphries's amendment might be to enfranchise some people who do not actually reside in the Territory, even on a temporary
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