PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.52 p.m.

The Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, section 15 of the Parliamentary Elections Act requires the electoral registers for each electoral division to be revised annually before the 31st of December in each year, or such later date as the Minister may appoint. The revision of the electoral registers for the year 1971 was completed in May 1972, and we went to the polls on the 2nd September last. It is unlikely that any by-election will be held before the end of this year and, for reasons of economy, it is proposed to dispense with the revision of the electoral registers for the year 1972.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Mr Barker].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.