Mr NATHAN HAGARTY (Leppington) (15:04): I speak in strong support of the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Elections) Bill 2026. The changes in the bill fall into three broad categories. The bill seeks to facilitate the 2027 New South Wales general election; to implement a number of recommendations that have come through from both the Independent Commission Again Corruption, and the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters [JSCEM]—of which I am a member—and, primarily, to strengthen integrity, participation and confidence in elections. One of the key policy objectives of this Government is to achieve a rate of 100 per cent in enrolments to vote, voter turnout, formal votes and voter confidence in our electoral system. We might never get there, but I think it is an admirable target to pursue, and we should continue to look at ways to reform the electoral system until we get to that point. I put on record that those opposite have previously pursued such folly as voter ID and other measures that would fly in the face of that.
Those who like their chocolate eggs and bunnies will note that the scheduled date for the 2027 State election falls on the Easter long weekend. Therefore, the bill seeks to move the election back by two weeks. Of course, that means a whole bunch of things around expenditure caps, nominations and all the rigmarole and business that needs to be done in order to get to election day also need to be moved back from that date. The bill introduces a number of measures to improve electoral integrity and administration. One of them, allowing the use of mobile polling booths at State elections, came out of evidence and submissions presented to the JSCEM. That is incredibly important for some of our rural and regional electorates, which are quite large. Sometimes there is no local school, town hall or other facility like we have in our densely populated areas at which to conduct a vote in a way that is safe, has integrity and promotes public confidence. The mobile polling booth is an excellent idea, and I welcome it.
The bill also includes a requirement for senior party officials to be enrolled in New South Wales. We have seen, time and again, Liberal candidates who do not even live in the Liverpool local government area consistently run for and get elected to Liverpool City Council. It is important that local people from the jurisdiction run for office or work as party officials. The bill will ensure that happens. We are also looking at expanding overseas postal voting access. That initiative also came out of the JSCEM report. It is something that works very well in Federal elections. Friends of mine have worked on Federal election booths in places like London and Hong Kong. I think that should be expanded to State elections.
Currently, voters are effectively being disenfranchised, depending on whether it is a Federal election or a State election, if they happen to be overseas. Ensuring that we have more of those booths overseas is a fantastic move, and I welcome it. The JSCEM also consulted with peak bodies in relation to voting access and inclusion. Should it pass, the bill will enable technology‑assisted voting for people who are blind or have low vision. That is a great move. The bill will also better facilitate voting outside polling places for people with an illness or disability or who are pregnant. The bill provides for improvements and safeguards regarding postal voting.
E‑voting was available in previous State and local government elections. My personal opinion is that it was a complete technological failure and, most importantly, it failed in conserving the integrity of the votes. In my opinion that system was being abused in the Liverpool local government area because it was not used for its intended purpose. It is good to see that in the rear-vision mirror. In relation to technology and safeguarding the integrity of the votes, the member for Balmain referred to artificial intelligence [AI] generated electoral material and the bill addresses a number of those issues. AI is moving at an increasingly rapid pace. A few years ago AI was so primitive that we would have been lucky to discern five fingers on someone's hand in a generated image. Now very realistic images are being produced and it is an emerging threat to the integrity of our electoral system. It is good to see legislation trying to keep up with, or at least get ahead of, where this technology is headed. We would be foolish not to realise that it has been deployed throughout other jurisdictions in the world to the detriment of voters.
Other important reforms in the bill relate to strengthening privacy provisions, consent requirements, and electoral funding that includes real‑time donation disclosure within seven days in a pre‑election period. This is incredibly important when we see billionaires donating funds to emerging political parties, such as One Nation. Many voters who either are flirting with the idea of voting for One Nation, or voted for One Nation in last weekend's South Australian election, would have very little idea that a significant amount of One Nation's funding comes from billionaires who probably do not act in the best interests of voters. If we have more real‑time donations in the lead‑up to elections, we will know who is funding which candidate and what their real agenda is, so that voters can make an informed choice when lodging their ballot paper. It certainly would be worth pursuing that goal.
At a time when the cost of administering elections is increasing beyond the rates of the consumer price index [CPI], the bill will increase administration funding caps in accordance with the report by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters [JSCEM]. Costs are not as low as they were in the 1990s and the 2000s, so the bill provides for increased caps to meet requirements in funding applications such as increased administrative costs. Most importantly, the bill provides for strengthening of NSW Electoral Commission enforcement powers. During the most recent Federal election the behaviour of a number of people involved in working for political parties—certainly not the Australian Labor Party—was certainly threatening and caused some of us to question which way our democracy was going. Thankfully, voters made the correct choice and rejected that type of behaviour.
I have been at voting booths when I have been threatened with violence by Liberal Party volunteers. One of them used to work for a member of this House, who I will not name. I was threatened with violence and the candidate had to pull us apart before the volunteer viciously assaulted me. The returning officer was called, but there was not much they could do. I support strengthening those provisions to give the NSW Electoral Commission more enforcement powers, not just at election times and in voting booths, but across a whole range of issues that relate to elections and electoral funding.
As I stated at the outset, it is incredibly important to try to achieve a 100 per cent enrolment, a 100 per cent turnout, a 100 per cent of formal voting and, most importantly, 100 per cent confidence in our great electoral system. Compulsory voting and genuinely independent electoral commissions is what makes this nation the great nation it is. I commend the bill to the House.
