Page 1101 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 April 1994
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MR MOORE (5.34): Madam Speaker, I think that the only people likely to be disadvantaged by this move are some factional groups within any given party. Under Robson rotation the vote of a person who wishes to vote for the party of their choice will be evenly distributed if they simply write 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, as the case may be, down the ballot-paper. The visiting officer appointed under the previous section would be aware of that and could explain that very simply. One of the most attractive things about Robson rotation is that it is so simple if you wish to vote for a party. That vote would be evenly distributed amongst all members on the ticket. Any other electoral matter along the lines of how-to-vote cards is only likely to cause confusion, as Mr Humphries has pointed out. Mr Humphries draws attention to aged persons homes. There could well be even further difficulties for some of those residents. The minds of some of the residents are probably substantially sharper than those of many of the people in here; but there will be some residents, as we are aware, who have reached a stage of just wanting to keep it simple, and there is a simple solution under those circumstances.
There will be a substantive debate about how-to-vote cards later on. In this particular case it seems to me that there is a much stronger case. We ought not allow that electoral matter to be taken there without the benefit of having somebody from the particular group to clear up the confusion, to explain the difference and to point out why that particular party has chosen to put out a how-to-vote card that, for example, differs substantially from the ballot-paper that is in front of them. I too urge members to support the amendments put up by Mr Humphries. They are very sensible amendments, no matter what your general view on how-to-vote cards is.
MS SZUTY (5.36): I too support Mr Humphries's amendments in this instance, and I note that the debate on how-to-vote cards is, most appropriately, to be had further down the track. It is important that Mr Humphries has raised these very significant issues around how-to-vote cards at this time. I think he outlined very well the various scenarios of people in hospitals and nursing homes, and the remand centre. I think, as Mr Moore does, that the how-to-vote cards are likely to be confusing to people in those environments. They are certainly not going to be relevant, as Mr Moore has also indicated, as in most instances the ballot-paper will be substantially different from the how-to-vote cards that people are given.
MR STEVENSON (5.37): A question we asked during our survey concerned how-to-vote cards being handed out to people as they approach polling booths on election day. We asked whether this should be allowed or banned. The result was that 62 per cent said that it should be allowed, 25 per cent said that it should be banned, 10 per cent were not concerned about the issue, and 3 per cent said that there was not enough information. That covers the question of whether or not how-to-vote cards should be available at polling booths.
Mr Humphries: These are special polling booths, though.
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