Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Cabinet) Share this | Hansard source

I might refer you to my last answer, where I told the House that, in the 2015 state election in Queensland, the turnout was higher. That was an election where voter ID was in place. In 2017 and in 2020, when voter ID was not in place, turnout was lower. So you just can't accept the claims of those opposite. In fact, you have to wonder about their motivation, that they will actually make claims against this legislation that are incorrect.

It is true that the Minister for Indigenous Australians and I today announced an additional $9.4 million to continue our success with Indigenous communities, with targeted measures to lift their participation in our electoral system, including their enrolment. This is on top of the $5.6 million that was delivered in the 2021 MYEFO. Let me tell you about Indigenous enrolment. The Indigenous enrolment rate has lifted from 74.7 per cent in 2017 to 79.3 per cent in 2021. This is a government that is committed to ensuring greater involvement in our electoral system, including from Indigenous Australians, and I look forward to working with the Minister for Indigenous Australians to lift Indigenous participation in our electoral system.

But those opposite will use a range of arguments in order to defeat this bill. This morning, before even having an opportunity to read the detail of the bill, including the fact that this bill will allow Indigenous Australians to use documents from Indigenous land councils, they took action against this bill—not knowing the details. There is a sickness in their motivation against it. The more they continue to rally against voter ID being put in place—like it is in Sweden, Canada, France and all but 14 states in the US, and it is being introduced in the UK—Australians have the right to question that motivation.

Under this legislation, not one voter will be turned away from a polling booth, for any reason. There will be an opportunity for them to have their identity attested to by another enrolled voter, with identification, and there will be an opportunity for them to cast a declaration vote. The scare campaign from those opposite in relation to the electoral system—and, quite frankly, the passion they've put into a debate about the voting system in comparison to a variety of other issues—does make you wonder if those opposite have the right priorities for the Australian people.

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