Summary

Implements the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters’ report The 2016 Federal Election: Interim Report on the authorisation of voter communication by amending the: Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to: apply the electoral authorisation requirements to modern communication channels; require all paid electoral advertising to be authorised; require entities subject to the electoral funding and financial disclosure regime to include this information in their political communications; ensure the obligation to authorise electoral and referendum matter primarily rests with those responsible for the decision to communicate it; and replace the current criminal non-compliance regime with a civil penalty regime to be administered by the Australian Electoral Commission; Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1993, Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991 to harmonise authorisation requirements across broadcasting, electoral and referendum legislation; Parliamentary Proceedings Broadcasting Act 1946 to make consequential amendments; and Criminal Code Act 1995 to introduce an offence which criminalises false representations in relation to a Commonwealth body.