by A Stewart

Arising from the review of the 2016 and 2019 federal elections, Senator James McGrath as Chairman of the JSCEM committee has TWICE recommended Voter ID be provided at polling booths.

I met him on June 1 in person in Canberra and he expressed annoyance at lack of action by prime Minister Scott Morrison and Cabinet and said he instructed Pariamentary staff to prepare a Private Member’s Bill to give effect to these recommendations attached, but he has not done that, and has not replied to my many recent emails enquiring about progress and time is rapidly running out.

JSCEM recommendation not acted upon:

PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Report on the conduct of the 2016 federal election and matters related thereto

Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters

Senator the Hon James McGrath, Chairman

List of Recommendations

Recommendation 12

3.141  The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 be amended to require that:

  • voters must present a form of acceptable identification to be issued with an ordinary pre-poll or election day vote. Authorised identification must be suitably broad so as to not actively prevent electors from casting an ordinary ballot. Examples of acceptable identification would include:
  • photographic ID such as a drivers licence, passport, or proof of age card;
  • government-issued identification card, such as a Medicare card, senior’s card or concession card;
  • proof of address, such as an account from a utilities provider, taxation notice of assessment or Australian Electoral Commission issued voter registration letter; or
  • alternatively, a ‘voter ID’ card be introduced and issued to all voters.   
  • where voters cannot provide acceptable identification they must be issued with a declaration vote.

Amendments to Act:

The federal coalition Govt recently pushed through Parliament four Bills to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act.
These 4 Bills dealt with minor issues, and did not bring in Voter ID which would

  • prevent getting false names onto the Electoral Roll,
  • prevent multiple votes at multiple polling booths
  • prevent ‘voter impersonation’ i.e. I could turn up at a polling booth distant from where ‘Fred Smith’ lives and verbally claim to be Fred Smith and could vote on his behalf.

There have been AT LEAST 36,000 Multiple Votes at the last two federal elections.  BEAR IN MIND that elections are often won or lost by a handful of votes:

Unless we pressurise ScoMo et al quickly, then I bet that VOTE FRAUDS WILL SWING THE NEXT ELECTION TO THE ALP regardless of even if the polls show the coalition in front.

A sad reality, get ready for Albanese as PM, in coalition with the Greens

The ALP did not activate their normal Vote Frauds in the May 2019 federal election, because they did not think they needed to — polls showed a Bill Shorten win
BUT NEXT TIME the ALP will activate Vote Frauds to target the wildcard United Australia Party and the LNP.