Attorneys-General agree to focus on electoral issues

Australia’s Attorneys-General have agreed, at their meeting in Hobart today, to establish a forum to discuss electoral matters.

Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine said he sought agreement at the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) meeting for a greater focus on electoral issues, including the non-enrolment of people otherwise eligible to voter.

“Up to 250,000 Queenslanders are entitled to be enrolled to vote, but they do not appear on our electoral roll,” Mr Shine said.

“The Commonwealth, States and Territories have co-operated since 1992 on a joint electoral roll.”

“We have a strong mutual interest in encouraging eligible Queenslanders, and Australians for that matter, to enrol to vote.”

Mr Shine said he was concerned at the impact of the recent Federal Government decision to impose much tighter restrictions on people enrolling or changing enrolment details once an election has been called.

Mr Shine said under these changes, there was no longer a full week to enrol after the writ for the election was issued.

"People enrolling to vote for the first time and those people re-enrolling must now do so by 8pm the day the writ is issued. Previously enrolments could be made for a week after the writ was issued," Mr Shine said.

“I am concerned that these tighter restrictions may disadvantage people living in rural communities, indigenous Australians and youth, and therefore, exacerbate the problem of under-enrolment.”

"Through this forum of Attorneys-General, I plan to encourage the Commonwealth to implement reforms and improve the opportunities for people to be enrolled and exercise their democratic rights,” Mr Shine said.

SCAG members will write to Council of Australian Government about the establishment of the forum.

27 July 2007
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3239 6400 or 0418 197 350