2010‑2011‑2012‑2013

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Presented and read a first time

Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2013

No.      , 2013

(Special Minister of State)

A Bill for an Act to amend the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984, and for related purposes

Contents

1............ Short title............................................................................................. 1

2............ Commencement................................................................................... 1

3............ Schedule(s)......................................................................................... 2

4............ Commonwealth expenditure during 2013 in connection with referendum proposals               2

Schedule 1—Amendments                                                                                                3

Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984                                                      3

A Bill for an Act to amend the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984, and for related purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

                   This Act may be cited as the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Act 2013.

2  Commencement

                   This Act commences on the day this Act receives the Royal Assent.

3  Schedule(s)

                   Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

4  Commonwealth expenditure during 2013 in connection with referendum proposals

                   Subsection 11(4) of the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 does not prevent expenditure by the Commonwealth in respect of things done (whether or not by the Commonwealth) during the period:

                     (a)  beginning on the day this section commences; and

                     (b)  ending on polling day for the general election of the members of the House of Representatives in 2013.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984

1  Subsections 11(1) and (2)

Omit “posted to each elector”, substitute “sent to each address to which subsection (2A) applies”.

2  After subsection 11(2)

Insert:

          (2A)  This subsection applies to the following addresses:

                     (a)  an address that is shown on the Roll for a Subdivision;

                     (b)  an address that is not shown on the Roll for a Subdivision because of section 104 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

          (2B)  The Electoral Commissioner may arrange for a pamphlet referred to in subsection (1) or (2) to be sent to any other addresses that the Electoral Commissioner considers appropriate.

          (2C)  The Electoral Commissioner may arrange for the information in a pamphlet referred to in subsection (1) or (2) to be sent to any email addresses that the Electoral Commissioner considers appropriate.

3  Paragraph 11(4)(a)

Omit “posting”, substitute “sending”.

4  Application provision

The amendments made by this Schedule apply in relation to referendums the writs for which are issued on or after the commencement of this item.