Page 3163 - Week 10 - Thursday, 21 September 2023

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track new medical imaging machines that have already been delayed by this Labor-Greens government. We will not be accepting the amendment.

Question put:

That the amendment be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 14

Noes 7

Mr Barr

Ms Orr

Mr Cain

Ms Berry

Dr Paterson

Ms Castley

Mr Braddock

Mr Pettersson

Mr Cocks

Ms Burch

Mr Steel

Mr Hanson

Ms Cheyne

Ms Stephen-Smith

Mrs Kikkert

Ms Davidson

Ms Vassarotti

Mr Milligan

Mr Davis

Mr Parton

Mr Gentleman

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Original question, as amended, resolved in the affirmative.

Electoral Amendment Bill 2021

Debate resumed from 2 December 2021, on motion by Mr Davis and Mr Braddock:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for Skills, Minister for Transport and City Services and Special Minister of State) (3.34): I rise today on behalf of the Australian Labor Party in the ACT on the Electoral Amendment Bill 2021, which seeks to lower the voting age.

The Labor Party fundamentally disagrees with the Greens’ bill as introduced. The reason is clear and simple: the bill unfairly penalises minors who do not vote. Reducing the involvement of young people in the justice system is one of our government’s priorities.

Compulsory voting, by its very nature, comes with a penalty. This is how it has been introduced in every jurisdiction in Australia since 1924. That makes the impact of extending the vote to young people here fundamentally different compared with overseas jurisdictions where voting is voluntary that have extended the franchise to young people.

While we think that a majority of young people would vote if the franchise were extended to 16-year-olds, a significant number would not and therefore would be issued a fine. If they do not pay the fine, they would be put before the court and would have to pay $288 in court fees and lawyer fees on top of that. Many minors do not have an income and the last thing that we want to do is to send a significant number of

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