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

The AEC has told me about three months. I cannot predict if or when the Senate will pass this legislation. I am hopeful that the Senate will pass this legislation sometime between now and Easter—but who knows? Once the legislation is passed, the Electoral Commission will then take all of the necessary steps to ensure that the Australian voting public is appropriately informed and educated about the changes and the benefits of these changes to them and the way these changes empower the voters to direct where their preferences go and who they ultimately elect to the Senate. We are very confident that the AEC will do a very good job in relation to this, and certainly the government will ensure the AEC is adequately resourced for that purpose.