Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for External Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to his attempt to suppress voting rights in Australia. Has the Prime Minister no understanding of the impact this move will have on remote communities across this country or does he know exactly how it will suppress the vote and this is precisely why he's doing it?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I suggest to you that that question—in the way in which it was framed, at least—offends the standing orders. It has all sorts of imputations which are baseless and incorrect and, frankly, a slur that is beneath this member of the parliament. It should be ruled out of order.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've listened carefully to the Leader of the House. Question time is robust, as I certainly know, but they are questions, and I have consistently adopted the approach of former Speaker Andrew, who certainly had a more liberal ruling than some earlier speakers, and that simply is that, if I rule questions like that out of order, it really just allows the matter to stand, and there is no capacity to respond to it as vigorously as you'd like. I've got the question here in front of me. The first part of it is an accusation, and then there are two questions. I will rule the question in order, and the Special Minister of State will answer.

Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Cabinet) Share this | Link to 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.