CHAIR (Mr Melham) —I declare open this public hearing of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters inquiring into the conduct of the 2007 election. Today’s hearing has a strong electronic voting theme, with the committee having the benefit of a hands-on inspection this morning of the systems used for the electronic voting trials at the 2007 election. Today’s witnesses—the Australian Electoral Commission, the Department of Defence and Software Improvements—will comment on the two electronic voting trials at the 2007 election, the trial of kiosk e-voting machines for people who are blind or have low vision and the remote voting trial for selected Australian Defence Force personnel serving overseas. The committee will also take the opportunity to follow up with the Australian Electoral Commission on a range of matters and hear from the state manager for the Northern Territory about the conduct of the 2007 federal election in the Territory.

At the outset I would like to thank today’s witnesses for appearing and the commission for providing a range of officers to the committee. It is very much appreciated. I do welcome representatives from the Australian Electoral Commission to today’s hearing. Although the committee does not require you to give evidence on oath, I should advise you that these hearings are legal proceedings of the parliament and therefore have the same standing as proceedings of the respective houses.

We have now received a total of four submissions from the commission covering a wide range of matters, and we just had a short private meeting of the committee, which has authorised for the release of two supplementary submissions that you gave us recently. If you want to make an opening statement, Mr Dacey, feel free to do so.

[10.20 am]