Senator ELLISON (Special Minister of State) (11:54 PM) —in reply—Tonight I rise to close the second reading debate on what is a very important issue indeed, and that concerns the legislation which is necessary to go forward in order for the people of this country to go to a referendum on 6 November this year; and there is no more fitting place for this debate to occur than in the Senate of this country. I thank honourable senators from all sides for their contributions and note their diversity of views. That is a healthy sign, not one which is necessarily divisive or in any way demonstrates a malaise or a polarisation in our community. Far from it—it shows that senators have thought this through. In fact, a common theme has run through their contributions tonight, and that is what they think is best for the future of this country.

I say at the outset that the government's objective has always been to put forward a package of amendments which give effect to the outcomes of the Constitutional Conven tion. It is clear that, in large measure at least, that objective has been achieved. In his foreword to the report of the Joint Select Committee on the Republic Referendum, the Chairman said:

Generally the Constitution Alteration (Establishment of Republic) 1999 and the Presidential Nominations Committee Bill 1999 faithfully reflect the findings of the 1998 Constitutional Convention. The Committee accepts the evidence that the provisions in the Bills are workable.

That shows the even-handedness and the transparency with which the government has approached this matter. At the outset I would also reject any criticism in relation to the government's approach to the handling of this referendum and the bills that are before the Senate.

We have seen just recently that the government took on board part of the recommendation in relation to the question to be put to the people of Australia on 6 November. That recommendation, which came from the Joint Select Committee on the Republic Referendum, was not unanimous. There were dissenting reports, and the government carefully considered all views that were mentioned in that report.

I might say that, in research which the government has released publicly, it was revealed that some 63 per cent of people polled did not know how the President would be elected or chosen, and therefore it is essential that in that question which is put to the people of Australia there is mention made of how that is done. But, of course, the government also took on board the recommendation of the committee in so far as who the President would be replacing, and I think that was a very even-handed approach indeed in relation to the question which the government proposes should be put forward.

I also say that the government will be moving amendments to the republic bill to reflect several of the committee's recommendations, and I will be dealing with those tomorrow. There are also amendments in relation to the nominations committee bill, which will be dealt with tomorrow as well; and I will be addressing aspects which have been raised in the second reading debate speeches during the committee stage.

There was some mention made by some senators in relation to the education campaign that the government will be undertaking in September. The government is mindful of course that, in relation to those parts of the community which do not have English as a first language, there are special needs to be met—and particularly so with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders—and that will form part of a special strategy in relation to our public education campaign. It has been announced publicly that the government has assisting it an expert panel consisting of Sir Ninian Stephen, Professor Cheryl Saunders, Professor Geoffrey Blainey, Dr John Hirst and Dr Colin Howard. They will be assisting the government in respect of the material that will be used in the neutral education campaign. This, of course, is designed to inform the Australian public as to the existing system, what is being proposed in relation to the referendum, how the referendum works and how it affects the states. This forms a solid basis from which the people of Australia will make a choice. In coming to that choice, the government has funded both the yes and no committees $7.5 million respectively, and they will engage in a campaign in October which will be along the lines of an advocacy campaign, each putting forward their own respective views in relation to where Australia should be going, and then the people of Australia will have a choice placed squarely and robustly before them. Of course, after that, the Australian Electoral Commission will also be forwarding the yes and no campaign—

Debate interrupted.