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COMMITTEE'S REPORT

The committee tabled its report, No. 27, 56th Parliament - Electoral and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 on 21 June 2019. The Bill was passed with amendment on 16 October 2019.

ABOUT THE BILL

On 1 May 2019 the Hon Yvette D’Ath MP, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice introduced the Electoral and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 into the Legislative Assembly. In accordance with the Standing Order 136, the Bill was referred to the Economics and Governance Committee for consideration.  

The explanatory notes stated that the policy objectives of the Bill were to:

• improve the integrity, transparency and public accountability of State elections by implementing the second legislative stage of the Government’s response to certain recommendations in the Report of the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) titled Operation Belcarra: A blueprint for integrity and addressing corruption risk in local government (Belcarra Report);
• facilitate operational improvements and support efficiencies in the State electoral system by implementing the Government’s response to the Independent Panel’s report, A review of the conduct of the 2016 local government elections, the referendum and the Toowoomba South by-election;
• ensure that provisions of the Electoral Act 1992 and related legislation reflect the adoption of four-year fixed terms in Queensland; and
• improve consistency across the electoral system by aligning State and local government elections and referendums, and by aligning Queensland’s position on prisoner voting with that of the Commonwealth and other states and territories.

A number of the Bill's proposed reforms to the State electoral system were consistent with amendments to the local government electoral system proposed by the Local Government Electoral (Implementing Stage 2 of Belcarra) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 (Stage 2 of Belcarra Bill), which was also examined by the committee. The committee’s consideration of the Stage 2 of Belcarra Bill can be found here.

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