Media Statements: Statements

Media response - The Hon Liz Behjat

Antartis, Jill — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:48:42 GMT

Content:

Questions asked by: The West Australian

Subject: The Hon Liz Behjat -

In reference to your query about the Hon Norman Moore MLC, Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, and his reaction to the Hon Liz Behjat MLC missing a division bell:

Minister's response:

“I am not annoyed, I totally understand the circumstances.”

Minister's office - 9422 3000

Date: 18/05/2009

Minister: Moore

Portfolio: Electoral Affairs

Region: Eastern Metropolitan;Northern Metro & Perth CBD;South Eastern Suburbs;South Western Suburbs;Western Suburbs

MPs get chance to present arguments for and against daylight saving

Antartis, Jill — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:04:02 GMT

Content:

Electoral Affairs Minister Norman Moore today explained the process required to enable the daylight saving referendum to be held on Saturday, May 16.

Mr Moore said the requirements of the Daylight Saving Act, 2006, meant May 16 was the earliest possible date to hold the referendum. A writ would need to be issued a minimum of 31 days earlier.

“However, after advice from Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately, I have asked that the writ for the referendum be issued 38 days earlier, on Thursday, April 9, just before Easter,” he said.

“Members of Parliament will have until April 16 to submit arguments for the Yes or No cases.

“If MPs do not take this opportunity there will be an additional two weeks - until April 30 - for the Electoral Commissioner to obtain arguments for the Yes or No cases from community groups.”

The Minister said the electoral roll would close on Friday, April 17 and the Electoral Commissioner would make the Yes and No arguments available to the electorate via a letter drop or through other means such as advertising.

“This process is necessary in order to deal with this question of daylight saving,” Mr Moore said.

“The topic has generated many arguments over the years and I would urge every eligible voter to exercise their franchise and vote on this issue on May 16.

“I would remind people that voting in a state referendum is compulsory, as for a state election and attracts fines if people fail to exercise their democratic responsibilities.”

Minister's office - 9422 3000

Date: 27/01/2009

Minister: Moore

Portfolio: Electoral Affairs

Region: Eastern Metropolitan;Gascoyne;Goldfields/Esperance;Great Southern;Kimberley;Mid West;Northern Metro & Perth CBD;Peel;Pilbara;South Eastern Suburbs;South West;South Western Suburbs;Western Suburbs;Wheatbelt

Premier announces D-Day for daylight saving

Antartis, Jill — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:03:13 GMT

Content:

Western Australians will go to the polls on May 16, 2009 to decide if daylight saving remains a permanent fixture on the State calendar.

Premier Colin Barnett said a simple yes or no vote would end the long running debate once and for all. WA has observed three daylight saving trial periods since 2006 with the current trial due to end on Sunday, March 29 this year.

“I have announced the date for the referendum so that people currently undecided can use the remainder of the trial to finalise their own assessment of daylight saving,” Mr Barnett said.

The Daylight Saving Act 2006 stated that three trial periods be held before a vote on a single question be taken in 2009. Lengthy debate on the wording of the question took place at the time of the Act passing through State Parliament and structured in such a way that would remove any ambiguity over the result.

Electoral Affairs Minister Norman Moore said Western Australians had voted on daylight saving three times in the last 17 years, each time resulting in a ‘no’ vote.

“The debate over daylight saving has seen three referendums held, all with the same outcome - No,” Mr Moore said.

“The last referendum held in 1992 saw the matter defeated by 53.1 per cent of the electorate.”

The Minister said voting in the May 16 referendum was compulsory and each person would be required to vote on the following question:

“Are you in favour of daylight saving being introduced in Western Australia by standard time in the State being advanced one hour from the last Sunday in October 2009 until the last Sunday in March 2010 and in similar fashion for each following year?”

The Premier said that some members of Parliament had proposed a second question on the referendum paper during earlier discussions about the timing of daylight saving.

“The State’s Solicitor General has advised that any additional question would require legislative change,” Mr Barnett said.

“I am not prepared to spend valuable time in parliament discussing this yet again. The single question will stand and it is my hope that the matter is finalised once and for all.”

Premier’s office - 9222 9475

Electoral Affairs Minister’s office - 9422 3000

Date: 26/01/2009

Minister: Barnett;Moore

Portfolio: Premier;Electoral Affairs

New laws to bring electoral funding equality.

LANGROUP\AFongChan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:31:24 GMT

Content:

23/08/06

State Parliament will consider legislation introduced today to ensure political parties are not so reliant on funding from interest groups and corporate donors.

Electoral Affairs Minister Jim McGinty said the Electoral Legislation Amendment Bill 2006 would ensure greater equality between election candidates and reduce the financial burden on small parties and independents.

“Political candidates should not be elected simply because they have large sums of money to spend on campaigning and advertising,” Mr McGinty said.

“Public funding of candidates for elections will alleviate the financial burden on political parties, especially for small parties and independents, and reduce their reliance on donations from interest groups and big business.”

The Minister said tighter disclosure requirements for political donations discouraged people from donating and limited the ability of political parties and candidates to raise campaign funds.

Public funding of political parties and candidates in Australia occurs at the Federal level and for State and Territory elections in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.

Mr McGinty said public funding of political parties and candidates had occurred at a Federal level since 1983.

“Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania are the only States without election funding provisions,” he said.

The proposed model for WA is based upon provisions in Queensland.

The key features in WA’s Electoral Legislation Amendment Bill 2006 are:

candidates who receive a minimum of four per cent of valid first preference votes in an election will be paid $1.39413 for each vote received in each of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council;
where a candidate is running as an independent, payment will be made to the candidate;
political parties whose candidates achieve four per cent on a State-wide basis are entitled to funding for all of their candidates;
the payment per valid vote amount will be adjusted annually, according to the CPI; and
political parties with five or more parliamentary members in total will qualify for small party status and will be provided with staffing and resources. (Currently only the Leader of the Opposition receives funding).

The Minister said if public funding had been in place in the 2005 State election, the cost to the WA Government would have been approximately $2.8million.

By comparison, public funding for the 2004 Federal Election totalled $41.93million, of which $3.94million went to WA parties and candidates.

The current funding formula for the Commonwealth sees $2.02 per vote paid to candidates who receive at least four per cent of the formal first preference votes.

Mr McGinty said the Bill would also allow the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal to inquire into and determine the remuneration paid to parliamentary secretaries and chairs of standing committees.

“As is the practice in the Commonwealth Parliament and other States and Territories, we are proposing that the tribunal ensure that parliamentary secretaries and committee chairs are fairly compensated for additional work involving committees or other official parliamentary duties,” he said.

Until the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal determines the remuneration of parliamentary secretaries and committee chairs, the existing remuneration payable ($6,950 p/a) will continue.

Minister's office - 9422 3000

Date: 23/08/2006

Minister: McGinty

Portfolio: Electoral Affairs

Region: Northern Metro & Perth CBD;Eastern Metropolitan;South Eastern Suburbs;South Western Suburbs;Western Suburbs;Kimberley;Gascoyne;Goldfields/Esperance;Great Southern;Mid West;Peel;Pilbara;South West;Wheatbelt;Goldfields;Regional Budget;Southern Western Suburbs;Southern Eastern Suburbs;Southern;All

New Electoral Commissioner appointed

LANGROUP\AFongChan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:31:23 GMT

Content:

16/08/06

Warwick Gately AM has been appointed as the new Electoral Commissioner for Western Australia.

Electoral Affairs Minister Jim McGinty said that Mr Gately joined the WA Electoral Commission in late 2003 as the Deputy Electoral Commissioner.

Mr Gately assumed the role and responsibility as the acting Electoral Commissioner in mid-2004, when previous commissioner Lyn Auld became ill.

Over the past two years, as acting Electoral Commissioner, Mr Gately has overseen the conduct of the 2005 State general election and referendum and all local government postal elections and extraneous elections conducted by the commission.

Mr Gately’s early career was with the Royal Australian Navy and included appointments in command of HMAS TORRENS and HMAS ADELAIDE, the latter during operations off East Timor in 1999 for which he was awarded a Defence Force Commendation.

His previous appointments in the Department of Defence have centred on strategic planning and analysis, force structure development, and planning for the conduct of Australian Defence Force operations.

Mr Gately was appointed as a member (AM) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia in June 1999, for exceptional service to the Australian Defence Force in a number of key operational appointments.

He holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and Government, a Master’s Degree in Defence studies and is a graduate of the Institute of Company Directors.

“Warwick Gately has the qualifications and the experience to lead the Electoral Commission over the coming years,” Mr McGinty said.

“With State Parliament last year passing historic laws which give all Western Australians equal voting rights, Mr Gately will be charged with the task of redrawing of State electoral boundaries commencing in early 2007.

“I congratulate Mr Gately on his appointment - which is for three years - and effective immediately.”

Minister's office - 9422 3000

Date: 16/08/2006

Minister: McGinty

Portfolio: Electoral Affairs

One vote one value laws pass through Parliament

LANGROUP\AFongChan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:31:27 GMT

Content:

19/5/05

Historic laws giving Western Australians equal voting rights have passed through State Parliament.

Electoral Affairs Minister Jim McGinty said the final hurdle for the one vote one value laws was cleared last night, with the Legislative Council passing the Constitution and Electoral Amendment Bill 2005, which increased the number of members in the Legislative Assembly.

“The antiquated vote weighting system that existed only in WA is now a thing of the past,” Mr McGinty said.

“It was simply unfair that a vote in the country was worth two, three and even four times that of a person voting in Perth.

“Every citizen in WA will now have an equal say in electing their Government, no matter where they live.

“The principle of one vote one value is a fundamental right enjoyed by every other State and Territory in Australia.

“I commend the Labor Party, the Greens and Alan Cadby for ensuring the passage of the legislation through Parliament.”

The reform to the State’s electoral system will increase the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly from 57 to 59, with each electorate containing an approximately equal number of voters.

The change will result in 42 seats in the metropolitan area (up from 34) and 17 in the country areas (down from 23).

Each electorate will have a quotient of 21,343 voters, with a 10 per cent tolerance either way.

Mr McGinty said an exception would apply for geographically large electorates with a land area of 100,000 km� or more, to consider the remote and vast regions of WA.

In those large electorates, the tolerance would be 20 per cent below the average electorate enrolment, rather than 10 per cent. An allowance of 1.5 per cent of the land area would be added to the electoral enrolment to give a notion enrolment.

“These large seats cover more than 87 per cent of the State’s land area, so it is important that people who live in these regions are properly represented,” the Minister said.

There will also be an increase in the number of members in the Legislative Council from 34 to 36 with six members to come from each region, regardless of the number of electors.

The model for the Legislative Council is not the Government’s preferred option. Instead, it is an alternative proposed by the Greens and agreed to by the Government in order to ensure the passage of the legislation through both Houses of State Parliament.

Minister's office: 9220 5000

Date: 19/05/2005

Minister: McGinty

Portfolio: Electoral Affairs

One vote one value is fair for all

LANGROUP\AFongChan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:31:27 GMT

Content:

5/4/05

Western Australia is the only State in Australia that has an antiquated system of vote weighting which disadvantages three quarters of the State’s population.

Electoral Affairs Minister Jim McGinty said the whole of the Western Australian Parliament was elected on the basis of inequality where people in country areas get up to four times the say of people in Perth in electing their Government.

“It would be like telling people voting in Australian Idol that if you live in Sydney or Melbourne then you get one vote. But if you live in WA your vote is only worth half a vote,” he said.

Mr McGinty said all political parties should work towards ensuring the fundamental democratic principle of equality became part of WA’s electoral system.

“I especially urge the Liberal Party members to take their heads out of the sand and to recognise that equality is a necessary part of a modern democratic society,” he said.

Liberal Leader Matt Birney held a vested interest in opposing the legislation because he represented the smallest electorate in the State by population, the Minister said.

“Mr Birney’s seat of Kalgoorlie has just 12,837 voters in 67 square kilometres. Compare that to the metropolitan seat of Wanneroo, which has 31,413 electors across 637 square kilometres,” he said.

“You could say Mr Birney has the cushiest job in Parliament. No wonder he opposes the principle of equality.”

Mr McGinty said the One Vote One Value legislation would bring representative democracy to WA.

“Vote weighting is corrupt and cannot be justified in a modern, democratic society. No other State or Territory elects its Parliament in this outdated way,” he said.

The legislation will ensure that lower house electorates in the State would have approximately the same number of voters - with a 10 per cent tolerance.

Mr McGinty said that the legislation would protect the five seats in the Mining and Pastoral region to recognise the truly vast and remote nature of the area.

The seats in the Mining and Pastoral region cover a land area of more than 2.2 million square kilometres - about 87 per cent of the State.

Minister's office: 9220 5000

Date: 5/04/2005

Minister: McGinty

Portfolio: Electoral Affairs

Talks continuing on electoral reform

LANGROUP\AFongChan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:30:43 GMT

Content:

28/9/01

Electoral Affairs Minister Jim McGinty says he does not believe the community wants to spend almost $1 million a year to have two extra politicians in the Legislative Council.

The extra politicians have been sought by the Greens - who hold the balance of power in the Legislative Council - as a condition for supporting the Government’s historic electoral reform legislation.

Although one of the extra MPs would be in the country, Mr McGinty said people in country areas wanted better services, not more politicians.

“The $1 million a year cost of the two MPs, including electorate offices, salary and staff, is money that should be used for essential services like health, education and police,” Mr McGinty said.

“I urge the Greens to re-think their demands.”

Mr McGinty said the Government’s electoral equality legislation was based on the most fundamental principle of democracy and the Government was not prepared to abandon it.

“Our legislation will for the first time give all people in WA an equal say in electing their Government - a principle that is already enshrined in the electoral laws of every other State and Territory and the Commonwealth," he said.

"The issue of electoral equality is too important to jettison the legislation, and I will be continuing to talk to the Greens. However, it is becoming clear that we may have no alternative in the end but to agree to their demands if we want the legislation passed.

“I do not believe we should have extra politicians or that almost $1 million of taxpayers money should be used in this way, and I hope the Greens will change their minds.”

The Government’s reforms propose that all electorates in the State will have approximately the same number of electors - about 21,000 people - except in a small number of very large and remote electorates where a smaller quota would be used to acknowledge their special circumstances.

Media contact: Amanda O’Brien on 9220 5000

Date: 28/09/2001

Minister: McGinty

Portfolio: Electoral Affairs

Anger over Greens threat to electoral equality

LANGROUP\AFongChan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:29:32 GMT

Content:

18/9/01

Electoral Affairs Minister Jim McGinty says he is bitterly disappointed by the threat today from the Greens to torpedo electoral reform plans unless the Government agrees to their demand for two additional Members of Parliament in the Legislative Council.

Mr McGinty said the Government did not support increasing the number of MPs and the associated costs it would impose on taxpayers.

“The plan by the Greens would also increase the malapportionment in the system for the Legislative Council, which flies in the face of the equality we are trying to achieve,” he said.

“It is frustrating but I intend to continue talking these matters through with the Greens and I will also be discussing the position with my Cabinet colleagues.”

Mr McGinty said Western Australia was the only Parliament in Australia that did not have electoral equality, and it was time to give all people in the State an equal say in electing their Government.

“What we’ve got now is the Greens saying they are prepared to throw out this very important principle, which they have previously said they support, unless they get their way and have more Upper House positions created,” he said.

“That is not a question of principle. It is the crude, brutal end of politics and I think the Greens have today put themselves in a position that they want to play hardball in politics and forget principle, and I’m very sorry they have done that.

“We will obviously need to sit down and deal with the reality of the threat they have made to us, but I’m still very keen to press ahead this year with electoral reform.

“Unfortunately, we're going to have to now give consideration to things we would prefer not to be thinking about or legislating on because the position of the Greens is crystal clear.

“They have a gun at our heads, saying that if we don't support them, they are going to vote against electoral equality.

“That is an unprincipled position but we must deal with the reality of it. But I make it quite clear, the Labor Party does not believe an increase in the number of MPs should be the price we pay for electoral equality. I would be very surprised if people in either the city or country condoned this sort of political manoeuvring by the Greens.”

Media contact: Amanda O’Brien on 9220 5000

Date: 18/09/2001

Minister: McGinty

Portfolio: Electoral Affairs

National Party accused of deceit on voting reform

LANGROUP\AFongChan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:30:13 GMT

Content:

23/08/01

Electoral Affairs Minister Jim McGinty says the National Party should stop deceiving country people about the Government’s move to give everyone in Western Australia an equal say in electing their Government.

“Max Trenorden’s scare-mongering has only one goal - to try to convince country people that WA should retain a system of blatant vote-rigging so the National Party can hang on to its few remaining seats,” Mr McGinty said.

“He ignores the fact that the electoral laws of every other State and Territory and the Commonwealth have already adopted the principle of equal voting rights without any dire impact on country people.

“His entire argument against giving all citizens in WA an equal say in electing their Government is that country MPs would have to drive too far if they had larger electorates.”

Mr McGinty said Mr Trenorden’s picturesque rural electorate of Avon, with its rolling valleys leading on to the Darling Scarp an hour or so from Perth, had just 13,408 electors at the last election.

“To give everyone an equal say in electing their government - which is the principle on one vote, one value - Mr Trenorden would have to represent about 21,000 electors,” he said.

“He says that’s too hard and country people will be disadvantaged. Perhaps he should speak to the Member for Wanneroo who presently represents over 39,000 electors due to the vote-rigging in country areas.

“Every electorate has its own set of complex issues that local MPs need to be on top of - from drought or economic pressures in some country regions through to drugs, crime, inner-city violence and homelessness in the metropolitan area.

“The workload is not ruled by distance travelled, and Mr Trenorden’s arguments are simplistic nonsense. Country people need good representation, not more of it.”

Mr McGinty said he would be interested to hear from any city-based Opposition MPs who felt their job was easier because there was less mileage, despite representing two, three or even four times as many constituents as their country colleagues.

“I would also like to hear how Mr Trenorden justifies people in major country cities like Bunbury, Albany, Mandurah, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton having twice the say in electing their Government as people living in Perth,” he said.

“How does he justify the people of Mandurah having their vote weighted to give them twice the say of people living in Rockingham, which is right next door?

“Mr Trenorden knows the vote-weighting in WA is absolutely corrupt and cannot be justified.

“Country people would be far better served if he explained the issues factually and offered credible alternatives if he doesn’t like what we have proposed.”

Mr McGinty said it presently took on average 13,409 people to elect one Member of Parliament in the country, compared with 25,860 people - almost twice as many - to elect one MP in the metropolitan area.

Under the Government’s reforms, all electorates in the State would consist of approximately 21,000 electors, except in a small number of very large and remote electorates where a smaller quota would be used to acknowledge their special circumstances.

Media contact: Amanda O’Brien on 9220 5000

Date: 23/08/2001

Minister: McGinty

Portfolio: Electoral Affairs