Electoral (Telephone Voting) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 15 June 2022.)

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (10:52): I rise today to add my support to a bill that was introduced to this parliament earlier in the year, the Electoral (Telephone Voting) Amendment Bill 2022. The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) published an election report into the 2018 state election. As members of this place would be aware, the former Liberal government introduced the Electoral (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill and the Electoral (Electronic Documents and Other Matters) Amendment Bill of 2021 into this place in the former parliament.

While this particular bill is based on some of the recommendations that were made in the report provided by ECSA and on the consequent consultation that occurred in regard to the bills that came after that, it is important to note that it is very much a standalone bill to bring forward the reform, specifically in regard to assisted telephone voting in South Australia.

The amendments proposed in the bill amend sections 84A, 84B and 84C of the Electoral Act, which currently provide for electronically assisted voting for sight-impaired electors. It is intended that electors with a range of disabilities and electors living overseas will be able to cast their ballot using telephone-assisted voting. The amendments set out in the act provide a new definition of 'prescribed voter', and provide for the class of voters and the methods of assisted voting to be prescribed by regulation.

In essence, the proposed bill will enable the state to provide voting services that are more consistent with options available in other jurisdictions in Australia, and also, importantly, meet community expectations. The bill inserts a new division in part 9, which is 5B—Telephone voting for certain electors. The bill also expands the options for telephone voting, as previously discussed, which are currently available for sight-impaired voters. The class of voters who can access telephone voting and the method of telephone voting are designated in the bill and can and may further be prescribed in regulations, as has been mentioned.

One of the important things to remember as part of this reform is that it is not just in regard to the ability to franchise a group of people in our community who have for far too long have not had their preferred method of voting, but it also deals with the issue that has reared its head in the last couple of years in regard to slow postal services and supply chains, which will better enable those who are overseas, and very much citizens of South Australia, to participate in the relevant elections, as they should rightfully be able to.

Telephone voting has been available in federal elections for electors who are blind or who have low vision and electors working in Antarctica. The 'Report of the inquiry on the future conduct of elections operating during times of emergency situations', which was completed by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters of the Australian parliament, recommended expanding telephone voting to elderly Australians and those living with a disability, who are vulnerable in a pandemic, and those directed to quarantine or self-isolate.

Again, as this parliament is well aware, we do not know what may occur in the future. For the Queensland 2020 local government elections and the general election, telephone voting was expanded to include electors who had been directed to quarantine or self-isolate. The volume of voters who elected to use telephone voting during that process rose by 390 per cent.

I just want to take the time to express my frustration—and I think the frustration of the vision community—that this sensible reform, which enfranchises a group of members of our community, has not been progressed. That fault lies at the feet of everybody within this parliament. It lies at the feet of the government, it lies at the feet of the opposition, and it lies at the feet of the crossbench. We as a collective, this parliament as a whole, were not able to progress these reforms in the previous parliament, and that is an indictment of our process to this point.

This is a standalone bill. It simply deals with the issue at hand and nothing more. I have certainly had incredible and strong advocacy put to me by the vision community. In particular, I would like to raise the name of Mr Peter Greco, who undertakes a radio program each and every week with Vision Australia Radio, his Leisure Link program on 5RPH community radio. This issue is raised with me each and every time I speak with him and each and every time I have discussions with the broader vision community.

This community has been disenfranchised for too long. Would having passed this bill prior to this point have allowed the vision community to participate in the council elections later this year through their preferred method? We will, of course, never know. It is time for this bill to pass. It is time for the government and the opposition to come together to provide the preferred method of voting for the vision community of South Australia and that time is well and truly now.

If this parliament is serious about making our processes available and inclusive to our whole society, this bill must pass. As you can tell, I am reasonably passionate about this. I do want to see this reform progressed. I do want to see these options provided to the vision community and also those other groups that may well be able to benefit from telephone voting in South Australia. I commend the bill to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr Odenwalder.