Federal government must pursue ambitious reforms to secure a healthier democracy: 2022 election review
The Human Rights Law Centre appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (Committee), to advocate for reforms that will make elections fairer and our democracy stronger.
The Committee was holding its first day of hearings from civil society organisations into the review of the 2022 federal election. The Committee’s terms make specific reference to ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are able to easily enrol and vote, introducing election spending caps, increasing the transparency of political donations, and introducing truth in political advertising laws.
The Human Rights Law Centre made 25 recommendations, covering:
reforms to reduce the influence of harmful industries in Australian politics, including making political donations more transparent and capping election spending;
prohibiting inaccurate or misleading electoral matter; and
removing barriers to voting for different communities, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living on homelands, people with disability, people in prison, people aged 16 and 17, and permanent residents and New Zealand citizens residing long term in Australia.