House debates Motions

Electoral Roll

Thursday, 28 October 2021 House of Representatives

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

10:48 am

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) voter fraud is a "vanishingly small" issue in Australia according to the AEC;

Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this

Government Members:

Government members interjecting

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

Members on my right. The minister for education.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

I continue:

(b) there were no—

Honourable members interjecting

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

Order! The Leader of the opposition will just resume his seat. The minister for education will cease interjecting. Members on my left will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition will begin again.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

Thanks, Mr Speaker. I move:

That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) voter fraud is a "vanishingly small" issue in Australia according to the AEC;

(b) there were no prosecutions for multiple voting at the last election;

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The member for Mackellar is warned!

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

I continue:

(c) on the eve of an election, the Morrison-Joyce Government is trying to ram through a bill to stop Australians voting;

(d) this is a desperate attempt to undermine our strong democracy and deny Australians their basic democratic rights;

(e) the Morrison-Joyce Government is trying to bring the politics and tactics of Trump's America into Australian democracy; and

(f) the bill will mean Australians who vote in the next election will spend even more of their weekend waiting in long lines stretching around the block to vote; and

(2) discharges Government business notice number 6 relating to the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Voter Integrity) Bill 2021 from the Notice Paper.

Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence

Leave is not granted.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion immediately:

That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) voter fraud is a "vanishingly small" issue in Australia according to the AEC;

(b) there were no prosecutions for multiple voting at the last election;

(c) on the eve of an election, the Morrison-Joyce Government is trying to ram through a bill to stop Australians voting;

(d) this is a desperate attempt to undermine our strong democracy and deny Australians their basic democratic rights;

(e) the Morrison-Joyce Government is trying to bring the politics and tactics of Trump's America into Australian democracy; and

(f) the bill will mean Australians who vote in the next election will spend even more of their weekend waiting in long lines stretching around the block to vote; and

(2) discharges Government business notice number 6 relating to the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Voter Integrity) Bill 2021 from the Notice Paper.

Our Prime Minister was the only world leader who didn't condemn those attacks on the Capitol Building.

Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence

10:51 am

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The question is that the Leader of the Opposition be no further heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

10:57 am

Is the motion seconded?

Warren Snowdon

Warren Snowdon Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for External Territories

This is a shameful attempt to undermine the democratic rights of Australians to vote. It's a shameful, gutless attempt—

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The member for Lingiari will resume his seat. The Leader of the House?

Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The question is that the member for Lingiari be no further heard.

Richard Marles

Richard Marles Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition

11:00 am

They don't want people voting, because they are scared of the election. The Morrison-Joyce government—

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Leader of the House has the call.

Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence

That the question be now put.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The question is that the question be now put. The minister for education will cease interjecting. He mightn't be aware his mask is not on properly.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

11:02 am

The question now is that the motion moved by the honourable Leader of the Opposition be disagreed to.