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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 6 Hansard (15 June) . . Page.. 1953 ..
MS TUCKER (continuing):
This provision is actually about trying to tighten up the information that is being handed out because, as we know, in the past the major parties in particular have been guilty of putting out quite misleading material. I remember that at one election it was being done for Greens voters. I cannot remember whether it was being done by the Labor Party or the Liberal Party; it is much of a muchness in this situation. It was not the Greens' information and it was really misleading that they were handing it out to Greens voters. It was basically an attempt to get preferences from Green voters.
This provision is an important tightening up of what is going on. It is in the public interest. Once again, the government is just looking after itself. If it has not got itself better organised, that is too bad.
Mr Humphries: What about the opposition?
MS TUCKER: And the opposition, if they are supporting it, absolutely. I suppose they are.
MR MOORE (Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services) (11.05): I think Ms Tucker has handled it rather eloquently with that example. It was not just for Greens voters. I have seen it done for Democrat voters. I have seen it done in federal elections. I have seen it done for the run of people. Those sorts of publications are shonky enough because of the impression they create. Added to that, they will not even have to have at the bottom "authorised by Bill Stefaniak for the Liberal Party", if he had enough gall to do it and was mean, nasty and cruel enough to misrepresent the situation. I am sure he would not, but if he were involved he would at least have to identify who had authorised it and on behalf of which party. This amendment will remove that.
I can see one of the advisers shaking his head to indicate that that is not correct. I think I have the appropriate section, Mr Speaker. Yes, clause 35, proposed new subsections 292 (3) and (4). The original section 292 is about the dissemination of electoral matters and the authorisers and authors of it. The part that is being added here is that subsection (1) will apply to electoral matter published after 31 December 2000 and expire on 1 January 2002. Mr Speaker, it is about just managing that for the coming election. It is just shonky.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 35, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 36 to 39, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Schedule.
MR STEFANIAK
(Minister for Education and Attorney-General) (11.07): Mr Speaker, I move amendment No 7 circulated in my name [see schedule 4, part 1, at page 1981]. Mr Speaker, there is a proposed new amendment 1.1 (a) in schedule 1 which is intended to amend section 67 to give the Electoral Commissioner the power to request information required for the purpose of maintaining the electoral roll from bodies specified by regulation, subject to appropriate regulations being made. This will
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