Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I have a question for you. Last Wednesday, 1 August, I received in my office in Melbourne from the Clerk a copy of my question of 8 May and an answer by the Special Minister of State, who revealed that 410,000 18- to 25-year-olds were not enrolled as of 31 March. This answer would normally have appeared in the first Hansard when the House resumed after the winter break on Tuesday, 7 August. Surprisingly, the answer that 136,000 young people would have been denied the vote if the 2004 election was repeated was not in Hansard. Was any pressure from the Special Minister of State exerted to see that it was not in Hansard until the end of the week?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Melbourne Ports. I understand that the Clerk is already having discussions on this very issue to see how this process might be speeded up, but I will make further inquiries on his behalf and report back as appropriate.