Page 1236 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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a prescribed witness a prescribed identity document or, if they do not have any of these documents, by having their identity verified by two people who have known them for at least one month; removing the right to vote at federal elections from all eligible persons serving a prison sentence but extending the right to enrol to all prisoners who are Australian citizens 18 or over, the effect of which is to automatically allow all eligible prisoners in the ACT to enrol and vote for ACT Legislative Assembly elections; extending commonwealth demand powers for electoral purposes to all state and territory agencies which the commonwealth intends to use to demand access to driver’s licence data and prisoner records of all jurisdictions; and closing the roll for federal elections to new enrolments and re-enrolments on the day of the issue of the writs and closing the roll for updating enrolments three working days later.
The Chief Minister has already written to the Special Minister of State, Mr Nairn, about these issues. On 15 January this year, the Chief Minister advised Mr Nairn:
The ACT government is concerned that the commonwealth’s recent changes might lead to a reduction in the integrity of the electoral roll. The new proof of identity requirements will place obstacles in the way of enrolment for several classes of people, including young people, frequent movers, Indigenous Australians, people who do not own property or a vehicle, and people in remote areas. The new arrangements for closing the rolls for new enrolments and re-enrolments on the day of issue of the writs for a federal election are also likely to lead to the disenfranchisement of many electors. I urge the commonwealth to take steps to ensure that Australian citizens are not disenfranchised by these changes.
To its credit, the Australian Electoral Commission has been taking steps to encourage people to update their electoral enrolment, and this week, 28 May to 1 June, is Enrol to Vote week, with school students aged 17 and 18 being actively encouraged to get on the roll before the federal election due later this year. This is something the AEC has always done. I am advised that the AEC has also been conducting doorknocks and mail-outs throughout the year to update the roll, and this does assist in increasing the number of accurate enrolments here in the ACT.
I am sure all members would give their wholehearted support to the AEC’s efforts to encourage enrolment, particularly of 17 and 18-year-olds; nevertheless it remains a concern that the commonwealth’s changes will still place obstacles in the way of securing an ongoing, accurate electoral roll. Of particular concern is the proposal to close the rolls on the day of the issue of the writs. The question has to be asked: why would the commonwealth want to make it more difficult to allow people to vote? Why would they create more red tape and put that in the way of people wanting to vote? We hear from the Liberal Party all the time that we have got to remove the burden of red tape and administrational bureaucracy from business, but when it comes to the issue of people’s fundamental right to vote, they want to make it more difficult, not less so.
It is important to note that the early close of the roll for federal elections will not directly affect ACT elections, as our rolls close under the ACT’s Electoral Act one week after the start of the pre-election period. But we do use a joint roll, and what that
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