Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will not take too much of the House's time today because, as has been clear from earlier speakers, there is a lot that can be said but it tends to be a bit repetitive. The fact is that what we are dealing with here are basically predominantly relatively minor reforms on what is, as earlier members have said, an excellent electoral system. It is an electoral system which has served us well for many years now. It is an electoral system which is international renowned. It is an electoral system that is independent. And it is an electoral system which is organic—it has evolved when change has been required. It has taken into consideration the nature of the changing patterns of the way society organises itself, the way technology has developed and the way people wish to exercise their democratic rights on an ongoing basis. For those reasons it is not unusual for us to be here in this House once again debating amendment of the acts that are involved. But in doing so we are building on a system which is, frankly, the envy of the world.

Having said that, because it relates to the very issue of how we achieve our arrival here and maintain our careers here, it is an area which is often subject to partisan comment—partisan comment from the coalition and, at times, from the Labor Party. I have certainly been part of that over the years. As a former shadow minister, in relation to the electoral area, I have had some impassioned debates about elements of our system, particularly with the member for Mackellar amongst others—

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