PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read. 3.36 p.m.

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

This Bill contains a few amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act, which have been found to be necessary. The first amendment (clause 4) empowers the Registration Officer to remove from any register the names of electors whose addresses as shown in the register have ceased to exist or to be used as a place of residence, and to transfer such names to the appropriate registers, provided that the changes of addresses have been notified to the Commissioner of National Registration.

At present such removal and/or transfer of names can only be done if there is a general revision of the registers of electors; the amendment will enable this to be done without having to wait for such a general revision.

As a result of urban renewal and redevelopment, many electors have vacated their residences and resettled elsewhere. It is considered that these electors should not be entitled to vote in the constituency in which they have clearly ceased to reside. They should vote in the constituency in which they are currently residing. Provision is made for the Registration Officer to give appropriate notice in the Gazette and to make available for public inspection a list of the names of the persons so affected, at least two weeks before making any removal or transfer of names. If at the time a person's name is removed from a register of electors he has not yet notified the Commissioner of National Registration of his change of address, he can still subsequently apply to have his name entered in the appropriate register so that he will not be prejudiced by the removal of his name. However, on practical considerations, where a writ of election has been issued for an election in an electoral division, no entry will be made in the register of electors of that division until after nomination day or, if a poll is to be taken, until after polling day.

The second amendment (clause 6) is designed to enable persons who have failed to vote at any election and whose names have been expunged from the registers of electors to have their names restored without having to wait until the next ensuing revision of the registers. The present provision is unsatisfactory in that it requires such persons to wait until the ensuing revision of the registers before their names can be restored, even though they may have furnished the Registration Officer with a good excuse or have paid the penalty of $5.00 for the restoration of their names. This amendment provides that such persons will have their names restored the day after the payment of the penalty of $5.00 or the day after the Registration Officer has satisfied himself of any good excuse which has been furnished. Again for practical considerations, it is provided that where a writ of election has been issued for an election in an electoral division, no name is to be restored to the register of that division until after nomination day or, if a poll is to be taken, until after polling day.

The third amendment (clause 7) seeks to prohibit, inter alia, non-citizens and undischarged bankrupts from taking part in any election activity. It is not in the public interest that such persons should play an active part in election campaigns.

Before concluding, I would like to inform hon. Members that it has been decided to increase the deposit required to be made by a candidate for election under section 28 of the Act from the present sum of $1,200 to $1,500. The Act (section 28(6)) provides that the Minister may vary the amount of the deposit provided that it does not exceed 10% of the total allowances paid to a Member of Parliament in each year. With the consolidation of the NWC awards into basic salaries, the monthly allowance of an MP is now $1,340. The yearly allowance is therefore $16,080 (not including the 13th month's allowance). Ton per cent of the yearly allowance is $1,608, a sum larger than the proposed deposit of $1,500. The increase will be implemented in due course by a notification in the Gazette in accordance with subsection (6).

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 E.W. Barker].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

3.41 p.m.

Clause 1 -

The Chairman: The citation year will be altered from "1977" to "1978".

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 2 to 7 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

New Clause - "Amendment Section 28 of the principal Act is of section hereby amended:- 28. (a) by deleting the words "in legal tender" appearing in the sixth and seventh lines of subsection (1) thereof; (b) by inserting immediately after subsection (1) thereof the following subsection: - "(1A) Any sum required to be deposited under subsection (1) of this section shall be paid in legal tender or by a bank draft or a certified cheque."; and (c) by deleting subsection (5) thereof and substituting therefor the following:- "(5) For the purposes of this section:- (a) the number of votes polled shall be deemed to be the number of votes counted other than rejected votes; and (b) "certified cheque" means a cheque which is certified by the drawee bank as good for payment of the sum stated in the cheque.".". - [Mr E.W. Barker].

Brought up, and read the First time.

Mr Barker: Sir, I beg to move, "That the clause be read a Second time".

Sir, under the existing provisions of section 28(1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act (Chapter 50), candidates for elections are required to make their deposits in legal tender as defined under section 14(1) of the Currency Act (Chapter 64), that is to say, in cash. It is now proposed to allow the Returning Officer to accept deposits made other than in legal tender. The proposed amendment will enable such candidates to make their deposits by a bank draft order or a certified cheque apart from cash. "Certified cheque" is defined under this new clause to mean a cheque which is certified by the drawee bank as good for payment of the sum stated in the cheque.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause read a Second time and added to the Bill.

The Chairman: It is intended that this new clause be inserted immediately after clause 5. This will be done. Consequential amendments will also be made to the numbering of clauses consequent upon the addition of the new clause.

Bill reported with an amendment; read a Third time and passed.