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Bills of the current Parliament

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Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022


Type
Government
Originating house
House of Representatives
Status
Act
Portfolio
Finance

Summary

Amends the: Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 to: align postal voting procedures in referendums with equivalent procedures in federal elections; enable the early opening and sorting of pre-poll ordinary votes, and the extraction of declaration votes during preliminary scrutiny; align authorisation requirements with the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918; establish a financial disclosure and foreign donation restrictions framework for referendum campaigning; prohibit foreign donations of $100 or more for referendum campaigning, and prohibit foreign campaigners from fundraising or directly incurring referendum expenditure in a financial year equal to or more than $1,000; enable the Electoral Commissioner to make modifications to certain aspects of a referendum during a declared emergency; and make technical amendments; and Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 to: extend the application of the designated elector framework to referendums; and make consequential amendments.

Progress of bill

For committee reference information, please see the Notes section at the end of this page.

House of Representatives
Introduced and read a first time 01/12/22  
Second reading moved 01/12/22  
Second reading debate 06/03/23  
Second reading agreed to 07/03/23  
Consideration in detail debate 07/03/23  
Third reading agreed to 07/03/23  
     
Senate
Introduced and read a first time 08/03/23  
Second reading moved 08/03/23  
Second reading debate 20/03/23  
Second reading debate 21/03/23  
Second reading debate 22/03/23  
Second reading agreed to 22/03/23  
Committee of the Whole debate 22/03/23 Amendment details: 7 Government agreed to
Third reading agreed to 22/03/23  
     
House of Representatives
Message from Senate reported 23/03/23  
Consideration of Senate message 23/03/23 Details: House agreed to Senate amendments
     
Finally passed both Houses 23/03/23  
Assent 27/03/23 Act no: 11 - Year: 2023
     

Text of bill

  • First reading

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  • As passed by both Houses

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Explanatory memoranda

  • Explanatory memorandum

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  • Supplementary explanatory memorandum relating to sheets PX149, PX150, PX151, ZB195 and ZD205

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  • Supplementary explanatory memorandum relating to sheet QE100

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Second reading speeches


Proposed amendments

House of Representatives
  • Crossbench
CHANDLER-MATHER, Max, MP

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  • Crossbench
STEGGALL, Zali, MP

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Senate
  • Australian Greens [sheet 1862]
WATERS, Sen Larissa

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  • Australian Greens [sheet 1853]
WATERS, Sen Larissa

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  • Australian Greens [sheet 1843]
WATERS, Sen Larissa

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  • Australian Greens [sheet 1830]
WATERS, Sen Larissa

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  • Government [sheet QE100]

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  • Government [sheet ZD205]

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  • Government [sheet ZB195]

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  • Government [sheet PX151]

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  • Government [sheet PX150]

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  • Government [sheet PX149]

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  • Independent [sheet 1865]
THORPE, Sen Lidia

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  • Independent [sheet 1861]
POCOCK, Sen David

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  • Independent [sheet 1815]
POCOCK, Sen David

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  • Independent [sheet 1816]
POCOCK, Sen David

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  • Independent [sheet 1851]
POCOCK, Sen David

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  • Independent [sheet 1855 revised]
THORPE, Sen Lidia

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  • Independent [sheet 1854]
THORPE, Sen Lidia

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  • Independent [sheet 1818 revised]
THORPE, Sen Lidia

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  • Opposition [sheet 1804]
HUME, Sen Jane

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  • Opposition [sheet 1803]
HUME, Sen Jane

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  • Pauline Hanson's One Nation [sheet 1874]
HANSON, Sen Pauline

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Schedules of amendments

  • Schedule of the amendments made by the Senate

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Bills Digest



Notes
  • Referred to Committee (01/12/2022): Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters; Committee report (13/02/23)
  • Considered by scrutiny committee (08/02/2023): Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights; Report 2 of 2023
  • Considered by scrutiny committee (08/02/2023): Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 2 of 2023
  • An electronic version of this Act is available on the Federal Register of Legislation (www.legislation.gov.au)