Pillay Lynne: Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second Reading 
Pillay Lynne: Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second Reading 
[Volume:674;Page:19986] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour) 
: 
 I rise as everyone has done this evening to speak in support of the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill (No 2). It has support from all parties which is certainly not a common thing in this House. I think of some of the dreadful legislation we have had imposed on us—albeit by majority—by the National Government. 
Carmel Sepuloni 
: ACT Maori. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: By the National - ACT - Maori Party Government as my friend has reminded me. But we are here to talk about the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill (No 2). As Charles Chauvel said the bill implements stage two of a two-stage reform of electoral administration. The reform establishes the new Electoral Commission and makes a number of other changes to the Electoral Act. 
The legislation came as a response to a report from the Justice and Electoral Committee on its inquiry into the 2008 general election. When I was on the Justice and Electoral Committee this issue was raised a number of times both by submitters and by officials who commented that it would be much more effective to have reform and a commission that encompassed the whole general election process. 
As I said along with every other party in the House we support this bill. We appreciate that there was a consultative process on this bill. I congratulate the Minister of Justice Simon Power who will not be with us in the next term—neither will I but life goes on. This bill is common-sense legislation. It is far more preferable to me than other legislation such as the “90 Day Sack at Will Act” and the dreadful changes we have seen to law and order and education etc. 
The new Electoral Commission will be a more effective regulator of elections. I hope that the new agency will provide better access to electoral services and encourage a much more integrated efficient and strategic approach to electoral administration because that is what this Government every other party in this House and every person who casts a ballot in the general election wants to see. 
I pause to acknowledge the work that gets done. Irrespective of the outcome of the election—for many people it was quite devastating—we pride ourselves on a process that by and large runs very very smoothly. If we compare that process with other countries other so-called democracies throughout the world I think we find that it is something—I can see Maurice Williamson nodding furiously—we can all celebrate as being part of an inclusive and very effective democracy. 
The first stage of this reform has already taken place. The new Electoral Commission was established on 1 October. It takes over from the old Electoral Commission and the Chief Electoral Office. The second stage which this bill brings forward will be completed on 1 July 2012. It will bring the functions of the Chief Registrar of Electors within the new Electoral Commission. Although it needs to be streamlined it takes nothing away from the fact that it has been very well served by the agencies as I said before. This process although it was highlighted very strongly in the last inquiry has been raised in at least two inquiries into the general election prior to that. In fact when Mr Deputy Speaker was on the Justice and Electoral Committee quite some time ago it may have been raised even at that stage. That could be something he wants to muse on as he is sitting there thinking. 
I come back to the bill. I will talk very briefly about the select committee report. As I said before the date was moved forward from 1 October to 1 July. A new clause was inserted to allow the Chief Registrar of Electors to seek the consent of declared Maori electors to provide the electors’ email addresses and contact phone numbers. The use of electronic copies instead of paper copies is provided for in a new clause. We are getting more up to date with the world we live in today. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Soon the internet will be voting for you. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: I know Maurice Williamson is very much an information technology— 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: He is. He’s very keen. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: He is very keen. He is passionate. I think it is his first love actually. There were other amendments but those were just drafting amendments that came up. 
There is so much to talk about on this bill. I will look a little teensy bit at the background. Carmel Sepuloni will go into quite a bit of depth on the background but I will briefly touch on it. Previously there were three separate bodies. They were the Chief Electoral Officer the Electoral Commission and the Chief Registrar of Electors. I will leave Carmel Sepuloni to go into more detail on that because she is more of a details person than me. 
I think as so many have said that this will be more effective and we want to see it. I think from time to time we have had a couple of little instances at elections where ballot papers have not got to some of the polling booths in time. There was a situation where some ballot papers went missing on one occasion. But by and large those events are very very infrequent. 
This bill will only enhance the service that is provided. I think that full online registration and moving towards more technology will really enhance the situation. The report from the department provides for the full online enrolment option which is apparently very much on the agenda to have a satisfactory trial. It will certainly improve online enrolment. 
There is also provision for a more efficient way to check whether an elector’s immigration status legally allows them to be on the roll. I think that currently the Department of Labour’s information can be used to check the immigration status only of those already on the roll. It cannot be used to check when an application is being processed. Under this legislation the immigration status can be checked during that time as well. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: That’s really good. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: That is very good. It is a very good— 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: A check and balance. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
:—check and balance. It keeps on top of people’s immigration process. It is good to see something good happening with immigration given the Prime Minister’s dreadful statements lately. Also the new system will be more efficient. I spoke about that before. It does the streamlining. I know that other people are waiting to take a call on this bill. Thank you very much. Along with everyone in this House I commend this bill. Thank you very much.