Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Bill 2024

The majority voted against an amendment introduced by Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson (One Nation), which means it failed. This amendment would have added the text below to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill).

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) calls on the Government to:

(i) hold a referendum to alter the Constitution so that;

(A) senators and members of the House of Representatives serve four years terms, and

(B) elections for the House of Representatives and the whole Senate must be held on the same day, and

(C) the number of senators from each State is fixed at no more than twelve, and

(D) the number of senators from the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory is fixed at no more than two, and

(E) senators and members of the House of Representatives must resign from the Parliament if their party affiliation, or status as an independent, at the time of their election changes during the course of their term, and

(ii) modernise and digitise the electoral roll so that an elector is automatically marked as having voted in an election as soon as they are provided with a ballot paper as currently occurs in Queensland".