Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Act (No. 2) 1988

No. 81 of 1988

An Act to amend the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984

[Assented to 26 August 1988]

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:

Short title etc.

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Act (No. 2) 1988.

(2) In this Act, “Principal Act” means the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 19841.

Commencement

2. This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Appointment of scrutineers

3. Section 27 of the Principal Act is amended by adding at the end the following subsections:

“(4) The registered officer of a registered political party may appoint persons to act as scrutineers during voting at a referendum at each place in Australia where voting is being conducted, but not more than one scrutineer for each party shall be allowed at each polling booth at any one time.

“(5) In this section:

‘registered officer’, in relation to a registered political party, has the same meaning as the expression has in Part XIV of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 by virtue of section 4c of that Act;

‘registered political party’ has the same meaning as in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.”.

Ascertainment of result of referendum

4. Section 89 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting subsection (5) and substituting the following subsections:

“(4a) The registered officer of a registered political party may appoint persons to act as scrutineers during the scrutiny at each counting centre, but the number of scrutineers for each party shall not exceed the number of officers who are engaged in the scrutiny at each counting centre.

“(5) In this section:

‘counting centre’ means any premises at which a scrutiny or counting of ballot-papers for a referendum is to be, or is being, conducted;

‘registered officer’, in relation to a registered political party, has the same meaning as the expression has in Part XIV of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 by virtue of section 4c of that Act;

‘registered political party’ has the same meaning as in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.”.

NOTE

1. No. 44, 1984, as amended. For previous amendments, see Nos. 120 and 133, 1984; No. 67, 1985; and No. 77, 1988.

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

Senate on 23 August 1988

House of Representatives on 24 August 1988]