Borrows Chester: Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill (No 2) — Third Reading 
Borrows Chester: Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill (No 2) — Third Reading 
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CHESTER BORROWS (National—Whanganui) 
: 
 I agree with the two previous speakers in respect of the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill (No 2). I thank the Minister of Agriculture for his acknowledgment of the work of the Justice and Electoral Committee which has had a very full workload over the nearly 3 years that its members have been working together. It is a committee in which the members have worked very collegially together. It is interesting to note that when we complete the Alcohol Reform Bill which we should within a couple of weeks there will be nothing left on the Order Paper for the Justice and Electoral Committee to consider. I am pleased to note that in the course of the consideration of the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill (No 2) members of the committee have worked particularly well together and have seen the need for the reforms. 
The aims of the amendments made through the course of this bill are to improve and simplify enrolment processes maximise enrolment and achieve cost efficiencies. The people recognise that we are a Government interested in gaining the best bang for the taxpayers’ buck and we recognise the privilege of living in a democratic country. Encouraging people to vote and to take part in this democratic process is something we should all be promoting and I am pleased that across the House we are doing that through the support we have for this bill. 
The changes under this bill to the enrolment system will improve the accuracy of the roll and encourage enrolment and thereby improve the validity of the vote. Some people unfortunately live in countries where the outcome of elections is significantly challenged because the elections are corrupt. In this country we do not see those things we do not witness them so it is important to us that we preserve the integrity of our voting system and the enrolment system and that we maximise participation as we have previously said. 
This bill will see the Electoral Commission become a one-stop shop for all electoral matters. It is the completion of the folding together of the three different entities involved in the electoral process into one commission. It is pointless to have to go to different agencies for advice in respect of different matters when they could be housed under the one roof. Voters will be able to update their enrolment details online and this is the first step in a process that will eventually allow people to enrol via the internet. 
Over the course of the submissions made and reports given we saw the willingness of people to participate online nowadays as we do for so many other things through the day-to-day living we enjoy in this wonderful country under this magnificent Government. All submitters were promoting it. They wanted to be able to enrol with their details and change their addresses online and eventually of course they will want to be able to vote online. I look forward to the day when they will be able to do that. When the committee was considering for instance its report on the last local body elections held just last October it made a point in its recommendations to the Government that there be a trial of internet voting for the next local body election if that is at all possible. Using the internet will make it as easy as possible for people to participate in elections while ensuring that the integrity of the electoral system is maintained. 
The key message of the bill is that it will ensure that the new Electoral Commission is a simple effective and pragmatic approach and it will enhance the electoral system we all enjoy in this country which has led us to serve our communities in this way as members of Parliament and to enjoy the privileges of being MPs in this House. I commend the bill to the House.