Commonwealth Numbered Acts

COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL AMENDMENT ACT 1987 No. 35 of 1987 - SECT 12

12. Section 72 of the Principal Act is amended:

   (a)  by omitting from subsection (1) all the words from and including

"objections" and substituting "initial objections and any further objections";
(b) by inserting in subsection (2) "initial objections and any further"
before "objections";

   (c)  by omitting from subsection (2) "6 weeks" and substituting "60 days";
(d) by inserting in subsection (4) "initial" after "of";
(e) by inserting in subsection (6) "or comments" after "suggestions";

   (f)  by omitting from subsection (6) "paragraph 64 (1) (a)" and
        substituting "subsection 64 (1)";
(g) by inserting in subsections (5), (6), (7) and (8) "initial" after "into
an"; and

   (h)  by adding at the end the following subsections:

"(10) As soon as is practicable after the augmented Electoral Commission has
concluded its inquiries into initial objections, it shall:

   (a)  make a proposed redistribution of the State or Territory; and

   (b)  make a public announcement, in accordance with subsection (12),
        whether by the issuing of a statement to the media or by some other
        expeditious means.

"(11) Section 66 applies to the making of a proposed redistribution under
subsection (10) as if a reference in that section to a Redistribution
Committee were a reference to an augmented Electoral Commission.

"(12) The public announcement referred to in subsection (10) shall include:

   (a)  the substance of the findings or conclusions of the augmented
        Electoral Commission concerning the initial objections and concerning
        the Redistribution Committee proposal;

   (b)  the augmented Electoral Commission proposal;

   (c)  a statement whether, in the opinion of the augmented Electoral
        Commission, its proposal is significantly different from the
        Redistribution Committee proposal; and

   (d)  if, in the opinion of the augmented Electoral Commission, its proposal
        is significantly different from the Redistribution Committee
        proposal-a statement to the effect that:

        (i)    a person who, or an organisation that, was entitled to make
               submissions under subsection (6) may forthwith lodge with the
               Electoral Commission a written further objection; and

        (ii)   subject to subsection (3), the augmented Electoral Commission
               will hold an inquiry into a further objection.

"(13) If the public announcement made pursuant to subsection (10) includes a
statement under paragraph (12) (d):

   (a)  a person who, or an organisation that, was entitled to make
        submissions under subsection (6) may, forthwith upon the making of the
        public announcement, lodge with the Electoral Commission a written
        further objection;

   (b)  subject to subsection (3), the augmented Electoral Commission shall
        hold an inquiry into a further objection; and

   (c)  subsections (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8) and (9) apply to an inquiry
        into a further objection as if the further objection were an initial
        objection.

"(14) In this section:
'augmented Electoral Commission proposal' means the redistribution proposed by
the augmented Electoral Commission under subsection (10);
'initial objection' means an objection against the Redistribution Committee
proposal lodged with the Electoral Commission under section 69;
'further objection' means an objection against the augmented Electoral
Commission proposal lodged with the Electoral Commission under paragraph (13)
(a);
'Redistribution Committee proposal' means the redistribution proposed by the
Redistribution Committee under section 66.".