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1998-99
THE
PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF
AUSTRALIA
SENATE
ELECTORAL AND
REFERENDUM AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) 1998
SUPPLEMENTARY
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
(Circulated with the authority
of the Special Minister of State,
Senator the Honourable Chris
Ellison)
Amendments to be moved on Behalf of the
Government
ISBN: 0642 389594
ELECTORAL AND REFERENDUM AMENDMENT BILL (No. 2) 1998
OUTLINE
The amendments to be moved on behalf of the
government amend the Electoral and Referendum Amendment Bill (No. 2)
1998.
The proposed amendments are designed to:
· alter the
commencement dates for the provisions relating to the timing of the close of the
rolls to a date to be fixed by Proclamation to allow time for consideration, by
the States, of complementary amendments to State Senate statutes where
necessary;
· provide that Divisional Returning Officers may dispatch
postal ballot material to registered general postal voters by post or arrange
for the delivery of the postal ballot material by other means;
and
· provide that the provisions relating to the timing of the
close of the rolls apply also to
referendums.
FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT
The
proposed amendments will give rise to neither costs nor savings.
NOTES ON CLAUSES
Amendments to Schedule 1 of the Bill
Commonwealth
Electoral Act 1918 (the CEA) and Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act
1984 (the R(MP)A).
Amendment (1) - Commencement
1. This
amendment to subclause 2(3) will provide that Items 11, 12, 14, 28, 30, 31, 53,
54, 54A and 54B which relate to the timing of the close of the rolls, commence
on a date to be fixed by Proclamation. This will allow time for consideration
by the States of complementary amendments to the relevant State Senate statutes,
under which the State Senate writs are issued.
Amendments (2) and (4)
– Dispatch of postal voting papers to registered general postal
voters
2. These amendments insert new Items 31A and 63A to provide
that Divisional Returning Officers may send postal ballot material to registered
general postal voters by mail, or may arrange for delivery of the postal ballot
material by other means. This will complement the amendments made to section
188 of the CEA and section 61 of the R(MP)A, in regard to the dispatch of postal
ballot material to other postal vote applicants, by the Electoral and
Referendum Amendment Act 1998 which received Royal Assent on 17 July 1998.
Amendment (3) – Day for close of Rolls and voting
day
3. This amendment inserts new Items 54A and 54B, consequential to
the amendments at Items 30 and 31.