Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

The reform that the government is pursuing to Senate voting arrangements, of course, responds to the unanimous report and crossbench party report and recommendations from the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters which was released some two years ago, which was supported at the time not just by the then shadow special minister of state, Gary Gray, but also by former Senator John Faulkner, who was, of course, on that joint standing committee, and Senator Tillem, a Labor Victorian Senator.

So it was a cross-party report, which came up with a unanimous set of recommendations. The government considered it very carefully and, on balance, we decided that it was in the public interest to ensure that voters have the power to determine what happens not just to their primary vote when voting above the line but also to their preferences, because, as the former shadow minister, Gary Gray, said, we believe that the electoral process has to facilitate election results which reflect the will of the Australian people. And that is what the government is doing. (Time expired)