Page 3280 - Week 11 - Thursday, 22 September 1994
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ELECTORAL (AMENDMENT) BILL (NO. 2) 1994
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (10.34): I present the Electoral (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1994.
Title read by Clerk.
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
The Electoral (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1994 provides for some minor and technical changes to the Electoral Act 1992 that will ensure the smooth running of elections. The Bill will ensure that claims for enrolment that are lodged with the Electoral Commissioner prior to the date of the close of rolls may be added after the rolls have closed. As the Electoral Act stands, it prevents the Electoral Commission from adding persons to the rolls pursuant to claims received before the rolls close, unless the claims are processed before the rolls close. In practice, claims received shortly before the rolls close are not processed until after the rolls close, for obvious reasons. The Bill will correct this unintended consequence.
The Bill will also ensure that public holidays will not delay the election timetable. As the Electoral Act stands, the operation of the Interpretation Act 1967 could disrupt the election timetable if a public holiday falls on the last day fixed for the receipt of nominations or the day of declaration of nominations. This would be the case in 1995 as Australia Day falls on the last day fixed for the receipt of nominations.
The Bill provides that individual candidates who agree to be grouped with other candidates cannot have the word "independent" printed next to their name. Under the current Electoral Act, non-party candidates who choose to be grouped together on the ballot paper may also choose to have the word "independent" printed next to their name on the ballot paper. This amendment will restrict this option to those ungrouped non-party candidates who do not claim any connection with any other candidate on the ballot paper.
The Electoral Act currently requires independent MLAs to disclose all their debts, including private debts. This Bill will ensure that independent MLAs will be required to disclose only debts incurred in relation to election advertising, opinion polling or research. This brings independent MLAs' disclosure obligations into line with the obligations of registered political parties. Finally, this Bill fixes a drafting error, to ensure that the correct calculation of transfer values of votes can be made in the case of filling a casual vacancy. I present an explanatory memorandum to the Bill.
Debate (on motion by Mr Humphries) adjourned.
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