Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Bill 2024

The majority voted against amendments introduced by ACT Senator David Pocock (Independent), which means it failed.

Amendment text

SHEET 3158

(1) Clause 2, page 2 (after table item 13), insert:

13A. Schedule 9A

The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.

(2) Page 205 (after line 19), after Schedule 9, insert:

Schedule 9A — Fair territory representation

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

1 Subsections 40(1) to (3)

Repeal the subsections, substitute:

(1) The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory are each to be represented in the Senate by senators for the Territory directly chosen by the people of the Territory voting as one electorate.

(2) The number of senators for each of these Territories is to be half of the number of senators for a State (rounded up or down to the nearest whole number (rounding up if the number ends in .5)).

2 Sections 42 and 43

Repeal the sections, substitute:

42 Term of service of a senator for a Territory

(1) Section 13 of the Constitution applies in relation to a senator for the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory as if:

(a) a reference in that section to a State included a reference to the Territory; and

(b) a reference in that section to:

(i) when the Senate first meets; or

(ii) the first election;

included a reference to the first Senate election held after the commencement of this subsection.

(2) The term of service of a senator for any other Territory:

(a) commences on the day of the senator's election; and

(b) ends on the day immediately before the polling day for the next general election.

43 Times of elections of senators for Territories

(1) The times of elections of the senators for the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory are to be determined in a corresponding way to the way determined for the senators for a State.

(2) An election of the senators for any other Territory is to be held at the same time as each general election.

3 Application of amendments

Subsection 40(2) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (as inserted by this Schedule) applies for, and on and after, the first Senate election held after the commencement of this Schedule.

SHEET 3199

(1) Clause 1, page 1 (lines 6 and 7), omit "Electoral Reform", substitute "Reducing Electoral Competition to Stitch-up Major Party Duopoly".