Page 967 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 April 1994
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Under the Commonwealth legislation, if an itinerant voter were in Queensland droving and his mother lived in Coffs Harbour and he claimed a vote in Coffs Harbour, who cares? That is quite all right, because he is probably entitled to a vote somewhere within the nation. The same may not be true in the ACT. Just because that person's mother, or close relative or next of kin happens to reside in the Territory, that ought not automatically entitle him to a vote in this Territory. I can understand that it could well entitle such people to a vote somewhere in the nation in the case of a Federal election, but I do not accept that that of itself should entitle them to a vote in the Territory.
I believe that it is not desirable for people who do not have a close connection with or may not even reside in the Territory to have a right of access to voting. It is a very small test that we ask people to pass in order to qualify as electors in the ACT, and in order to avoid the possibility of an abuse of the system I believe that the provisions that I have outlined are appropriate. But, as I say, it is not a matter on which I feel tremendously strongly, and I do not expect that a huge number of people would leap to take advantage of the itinerant voters provisions in the ACT Assembly's electoral legislation, whatever those provisions are.
Amendment agreed to.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (5.47): Madam Speaker, I ask for leave to move certain consequential amendments together. They are on a blue page entitled "Supplementary Amendments B". I ask for leave to move amendments a., b., c., d., e. and f. together.
Leave granted.
MS FOLLETT: I present the supplementary explanatory memorandum, which also is on blue paper. Madam Speaker, I move:
a. Page 14, line 17, proposed new subparagraph 53(1)(c)(ii), omit "or".
b. Page 14, line 18, proposed new subparagraph 53(1)(c)(iii), add "or".
c. Page 14, line 18, proposed new paragraph 53(1)(c), add the following subparagraph:
"(iv) an elector who is entitled by virtue of his or her enrolment on the Commonwealth roll as an itinerant elector;".
d. Page 48, line 33, proposed new paragraph 125(2)(b), omit "or".
e. Page 49, line 2, proposed new paragraph 125(2)(c), add "or".
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