MINISTERIAL EXPERT COMMITTEE ON ELECTORAL REFORM
89. Hon TJORN SIBMA to the parliamentary secretary representing the
Minister for Electoral Affairs:
To
continue that deep, deep vein of questioning, I refer to the government's
expedient decision to prioritise electoral reform of the Legislative Council
despite the Premier ruling this out repeatedly during the election.
(1) Was it
cabinet's decision to break an election promise and overturn Hon Jim
McGinty's legislation or was this decision taken by the Premier and
Minister for Electoral Affairs alone?
(2) Did the
Minister for Electoral Affairs devise the construction and membership of the
Ministerial Expert Committee on Electoral Reform and when was this decision
taken and how was it communicated to members of the committee?
(3) Who drafted the committee's terms of
reference; for example, were the members of the committee consulted in
the process?
The PRESIDENT: Parliamentary
Secretary to the Attorney General—I think there is probably one part of
that question in relation to a matter dealt before cabinet that you probably
will not be able to provide a response to.
Hon
MATTHEW SWINBOURN replied:
Thank you, Madam President. I thank
the member for some notice of the question. I provide the following answers on
behalf of the Minister for Electoral Affairs.
(1) No election promise has been
broken.
(2) I refer the member to Legislative Council
question without notice 24, which previously answers the first limb of this
question. In relation to the second limb of this question, members were advised
in writing on 29 April 2021.
(3) Members of
the committee were consulted during the drafting process and there is no
present intention to extend the deadline.