Howard Tries To Disenfranchise The Young: Again John Faulkner - Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Shadow Special Minister of State , Shadow Minister for Public Administration and Accountability

Media Statement - 14 May 2004

The early electoral roll closure law proposed by the Howard Government is yet another attempt to disenfranchise young voters, Shadow Minister for Public Administration, Senator John Faulkner said today.

"The Senate threw the same proposal out prior to the 1998 and 2001 elections. The ploy would prevent young people from enrolling to vote after an election is called, and Labor will oppose it. Everyone knows many Australians remember to enrol or update their enrolment at election time.

"Currently there is a seven day window of opportunity after the writs are issued, to enrol or change an enrolled address. The Howard Government is hell-bent on closing that window," Senator Faulkner said.

The AEC has provided assurances it makes all the normal checks for enrolment forms in the week after the writs for an election are issued.

The AEC estimates early roll closure would disenfranchise about 80,000 new enrolees - mostly young Australians, and 200,000 voters who would be unable to transfer enrolment to their new address. This would cause massive confusion on election-day and significant delays in declaring the results in some seats.

This ploy has been tried before.

In a last throw of the dice in 1983, Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, broke years of convention and closed the electoral roll on Friday 4 February, the day after he announced the election. Governments prior to 1983 allowed at least a week to enrol between the election announcement and the issuing of the writs.

Public outrage followed Mr Fraser's gambit. Pandemonium broke out at electoral offices as people tried to enrol. There was also a High Court challenge. 200,000 to 500,000 people were disenfranchised.

The Hawke Government then legislated for a mandatory seven day period after the writs are issued before the electoral roll is closed.

"Labor will oppose the Howard Government's transparent and undemocratic proposal in the Senate," Senator Faulkner said.