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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 4167 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

Members would be aware that Dr Kirschbaum's paper has generated some debate with other election number crunchers, in particular Mr Bogy Musidlak. I want to make clear, however, that the criticisms that have come forward have been minor and do not detract from the central proposal put forward by Dr Kirschbaum. It is accepted by everyone that this amendment will not remove all possible donkey vote anomalies because it is impossible to completely randomise the rotation of candidates on the ballot paper; but it will remove nearly all of them. Mr Musidlak has highlighted a donkey vote anomaly that will still be left in the voting system, but this does not mean that we should not remove other anomalies through this amendment. Mr Musidlak also questions Dr Kirschbaum's calculation of the donkey vote in the ACT. Even if Dr Kirschbaum's calculation is out by some percentage points, this does not detract from the point that elimination of the undue influence of the donkey vote can only be of benefit to our voting system. It will certainly not make it worse.

In conclusion, the Greens have an ongoing commitment to fairness, in politics and in society in general. It is important that members elected to the Assembly are the best representatives chosen by the community. The Kirschbaum twist to the Robson rotation will go a long way towards achieving this objective, and I commend it to the Assembly. I have received assurances from Mr Moore and, I understand, from the Government, and, hopefully, also from Labor, that this will be looked at again and possibly referred to a committee in the next Assembly. I would appreciate it if people could put that on the record, if that is how they feel.

Ms McRae: All you have to do is feel, Ms Tucker.

MS TUCKER: That is right; but let us see it on the record, just in case.

MR MOORE (7.54): Mr Speaker, I think it is quite possible that Ms Tucker wants it on the record just in case she is not here. She can feel the pressure of the polling in the election coming up, and can't we all. Ms Tucker, just in case I happen to be here and you are not, amongst a series of recommendations from the Electoral Commissioner there is a recommendation that the Assembly establish a committee to monitor electoral matters. I think an electoral affairs committee would be a very important committee of this Assembly. In the Government's introductory speech to this Bill, Mr Humphries indicated that an electoral affairs committee would be part of their commitment in the next Assembly. I would be happy to support that commitment, and I would also be happy to support the notion of the Kirschbaum twist, as it will be known from this evening, being referred to such a committee as its first task. I think it is a very important issue.

These amendments to the Electoral Act are generally fairly mechanical amendments, but there are some very interesting ones. The right of the Electoral Commissioner to speak to any of the MLAs is, I think, an important one that expands the role of the Electoral Commissioner. Really, I think it reconfirms what Mr Humphries has always made available, and what Ms Follett before him made available - that we could always speak to the Electoral Commissioner. But I think it establishes that relationship in a far better way and so that his independence is enhanced. I would think that the Electoral Commissioner would wind up becoming very familiar to the Assembly committee on electoral matters as well.

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