As 2012 draws to an end Abbott's chief propagandist is not happy with this joint parliamentary committee

 

Members of the Australian Parliament Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (JSCEM):

 

Chair Mr Daryl Melham MP (Labor)

Deputy Chair The Hon Alexander Somlyay MP (Liberal)

Members The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP (Liberal), Senator Simon Birmingham (Liberal), The Hon Alan Griffin MP (Labor), Senator Bob Brown (Greens), Ms Amanda Rishworth MP (Labor), Senator Carol Brown (Labor), Senator Helen Polley (Labor), Senator Scott Ryan (Liberal).

 

Following the inquiry into the conduct of the 2010 federal election, JSCEM tabled a report entitled The 2010 Federal Election: Report on the conduct of the election and related matters.

 

A bill is currently before the Australian Parliament which implements the Gillard Government’s response to seven of the thirty-seven recommendations in the JSCEM report.

It gives effect to recent amendments to the Electoral Act that enable the Electoral Commissioner to directly update or transfer a person’s enrolment without claim or notice from the person and to enrol an unenrolled person without claim or notice from the person.

According to the Special Minister For State the Australian Electoral Commission; would have to notify a person it intended to add to the electoral roll and give them 28 days to tell the AEC if they did not live at the address listed or were not eligible to vote.

 

In The Australian on 10 December 2012 Christopher Pyne gave vent to the far right’s ‘official’ line on this particular proposal:

 

THE Coalition has accused Labor of trying to "rort" the electoral roll to boost its standing at the next election on the back of law changes allowing automatic voter enrolment.

Manager of opposition business Christopher Pyne said it was “routine” for Labor to attempt to “tip the scales in their own favour if they can” when it came to elections and said eligible voters should be required to present identification to enrol and vote in elections.

“It's no surprise at all that Labor would try and find every trick in the book to increase their electoral clout,” Mr Pyne told Sky News.

“They are not supported in the electorate so they are trying to do things that they can to improve their chances with the electoral roll. The Greens are the same.

“Suddenly Labor thinks they are behind in the polls, why don't we do something to trick the voter, let's rort the roll, let's get an advantage over the Coalition, they've been doing it for decades and this is just their latest iteration.” ……

 

Readers may recall that the former Howard Government (of which Pyne was a member) changed electoral legislation seventeen months before the 2007 federal election, so that new enrolments closed at 8pm on the day that election writs were issued and enrolment changes closed three business days after the issuing of the writs - thus ignoring past practice and possibly denying the franchise to many caught unawares by the election announcement, including young people only recently reaching voting age.

 

In 2010 the High Court struck down the law that forced the closing of the electoral roll at 8pm on the same day the writ for the election was issued on the grounds it was unconsitutional.

Which makes Pyne's present histrionics laughable and, raises the possibility that if Abbott et al gain government in 2013 they will attempt to disenfranchise the young by other means, as they appear to believe the young predominately favour the Labor Party in spite of Abbott's relentless attacks on the Gillard Government.