Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters
Media release, 17 August 1999
ELECTORAL MATTERS PUBLIC HEARINGS IN BRISBANE
As part of the inquiry into the 1998 federal election, the Joint Standing
Committee on Electoral Matters will be conducting hearings in Brisbane
on Tuesday 17 August 1999.
Chairman Gary Nairn, Member for Eden - Monaro said: 'Queenslanders have
been by far the greatest number of contributors to this inquiry. The community's
enthusiasm for electoral issues has prompted the Committee to hold hearings
in Brisbane.'
The Committee will be hearing from a wide range of organisations, including
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party, Voters Against Legal Unfair Elections
and the Patriotic Movement of Australia, as well as a number of individuals.
'The issue of greatest concern to the groups appearing before the Committee
is compulsory preferential voting, which has been a recurrent issue since
Albert Langer was jailed during the 1996 federal election,' Mr Nairn continued.
'The Committee is hoping to develop an understanding of how those appearing
feel on this issue.'
Other issues of interest to those appearing include: electoral fraud;
voter education; and media bias. The Committee expects to deliver its
report before Christmas.
Ends
12 August 1999
Further information: Gary Nairn MP (Chairman) 02 - 6277 4939 (Parliament
House)
Bev Forbes (Secretary) 02 - 6277 4582
Details of Hearing and Committee membership attached
PROGRAM : PUBLIC HEARING
TUESDAY 17 AUGUST
Conference Room, Level 5
Parliamentary Annex
Brisbane
9.00 - 9.30 am Mr Jim Stewart
9.30 - 10.00 am Office of the Leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation (QLD
Parliament)
10.00 - 10.30 am Mr Arthur Tuck
11.00 - 11.30 am Voters Against Legal Unfair Elections
11.30 - 12.00 pm Mr James Dwyer
12.00 - 12.30 pm Patriotic Movement of Australia
12.30 - 1.00 pm Mr John Hugo
1.00 - 1.30 pm Opportunity for informal comment from the general public
Membership of the Committee
Mr Gary Nairn MP (Chair)
Mr Laurie Ferguson MP (Deputy Chair)
Senator Andrew Bartlett
Senator the Hon. John Faulkner
Senator Brett Mason
Senator Andrew Murray
Senator the Hon. Ron Boswell
Mr Michael Danby MP
Mr John Forrest MP
Hon. Alex Somlyay MP
Inquiry into the Conduct of the 1998 Federal Election and matters related
thereto : Terms of Reference
On 10 December 1998 the Special Minister of State, Senator the Hon.
Chris Ellison, referred the following to the Joint Standing Committee
on Electoral Matters:
"That the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters inquire into
and report on all aspects of the conduct of the 1998 federal election
and matters related thereto."
The terms of reference for an election inquiry are generally very broad,
allowing the Committee to focus on those issues which are considered most
pressing by the Committee and the respondents to the inquiry.