Senate debates

Tuesday, 24 August 2021

Questions without Notice

Electoral Legislation Amendment (Party Registration Integrity) Bill 2021

2:40 pm

Photo of Jacqui LambieJacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to the Minister for Finance and Special Minister of State, Senator Birmingham. The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Party Registration Integrity) Bill 2021 would give political parties the right to block new parties coming through if they had the same key words in their names as existing parties. When the Liberal Party was formed in October 1944, there was already an existing political party called the Liberal Democratic Party. If the rules you want to put in place had been around when your party started, there wouldn't be any Liberal senators in the building today. Does that seem fair to you, or do you think it would be good for democracy to let incumbents block their opponents?

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