Bills and Legislation

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Date: 18 Jun 2018
Chamber: Senate
Status: Before Senate
Sponsor: STEELE-JOHN, Sen Jordon
Summary: Amends the
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
and
Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984
to: lower the minimum (non-compulsory) voting age in Australian federal elections and referenda from 18 to 16 years; allow 14 and 15 year olds to be added to the electoral roll in preparation for their eligibility to vote at 16 years of age; provide for 16 and 17 year olds to be included in the certified list of voters (but not to be given a penalty notice if they do not vote); and provide that an eligible voter, who is not yet on the electoral roll or enrolled at their correct address, is able to cast a provisional vote on election day.

Date: 01 Sep 2021
Chamber: Senate
Status: Before Senate
Sponsor: ROBERTS, Sen Malcolm
Summary: Amends the:
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
to: provide for the routine independent auditing of authorised electronic technology used at federal elections; and require voter identification for electors to vote in federal elections; and
Intelligence Services Act 2001
to make consequential amendments.

Date: 01 Dec 2021
Chamber: Senate
Status: Before Senate
Sponsor: MCGRATH, Sen James
Summary: Amends the
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
to: replace compulsory preferential voting with optional preferential voting for House of Representatives elections; enable voters to allocate preferences to candidates of their choosing only; provide vote saving provisions for voters who do not preference each and every candidate; provide for the position of candidates listed on House of Representatives ballots papers to be re-ordered between ballot papers (the Robson Rotation); and distribute batches of ballot papers which list each candidate in favourable positions equally.

Date: 11 Jun 2020
Chamber: Senate
Status: Before Senate
Sponsor: MCCARTHY, Sen Malarndirri
FARRELL, Sen Don
Summary: Amends the
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
to provide for a minimum of two divisions in the Northern Territory in the House of Representatives.

Date: 05 Feb 2020
Chamber: Senate
Status: Before Senate
Sponsor: LAMBIE, Sen Jacqui
Summary: Amends the
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
to: extend the definition of reporting entities to include political entities, campaigners, associated entities and third parties; lower the political donation disclosure threshold from $14 000 to $2500; require disclosure by reporting entities and donors when the sum of the gifts and donations provided by the same donor to the same reporting entity is greater than the disclosure threshold; require disclosure by reporting entities within 7 days of a reportable gift being made, and require disclosure within 7 days of any subsequent gifts until the end of the reporting period; require reporting entities to lodge half-yearly returns with details of the nature and source of all reportable donations and other receipts; require reporting entities to hold an electoral expenditure account with an authorised deposit-taking institution, from which all electoral expenditure must be paid; increase the monitoring and investigatory powers of the Australian Electoral Commission; and provide for infringement notices and civil penalty provisions for reporting entities that fail to meet their disclosure obligations.

Date: 17 Jun 2020
Chamber: Senate
Status: Before Senate
Sponsor: WATERS, Sen Larissa
Summary: Amends the
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
to: prohibit political donations from property developers, the tobacco industry, the banking industry, liquor and gambling businesses, pharmaceutical companies, the mining industry and representative organisations for these industries; imposes a cumulative limit on political donations from any source of $3000 per election term; and extend the definition of 'gift' to include subscription and membership fees, as well as attendance at fundraising events.

Date: 17 Oct 2017
Chamber: Senate
Status: Before Senate
Sponsor: DI NATALE, Sen Richard
Summary: Prohibits the Commonwealth government or its agencies from funding the refurbishment, building or purchase, or assisting in the transfer of ownership, of a coal-fired power station.

Date: 12 Feb 2019
Chamber: Senate
Status: Before Senate
Sponsor: STEELE-JOHN, Sen Jordon
Summary: Amends the
Broadcasting Services Act 1992
to: require national broadcasters, commercial television broadcasting licensees and subscription television licensees to provide a minimum number of hours of television audio description per week; and provide for the Australian Communications and Media Authority to enforce and review the new requirement.

Date: 12 May 2021
Chamber: Senate
Status: Before Senate
Sponsor: PATRICK, Sen Rex
Summary: The bill: repeals the
Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Emergency Requirements—High Risk Country Travel Pause) Determination 2021
; and amends the
Biosecurity Act 2015
to prevent the Minister for Health from making a determination or giving a direction that prevents or restricts an Australian citizen or permanent resident outside Australia from returning to Australia.

Date: 01 Sep 2021
Chamber: House of Representatives
Status: Before Senate
Portfolio: Agriculture, Water and the Environment
Summary: Amends the
Biosecurity Act 2015
to: expand pre-arrival reporting requirements for aircraft and vessels; strengthen penalties for non-compliance with negative pratique requirements; create a mechanism to make a human biosecurity group direction; increase civil and criminal penalties for contraventions of certain requirements in relation to goods; amend the process for making certain determinations specifying prohibited, conditionally non-prohibited and suspended goods or granting permits based on risk assessments; and provide legislative authority for expenditure for biosecurity-related programs and activities, such as surveillance programs for pests and diseases.

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