November 18, 2024:

I rise in support of the motion today from the member for Curtin for this electoral reform legislation to be referred for scrutiny by a parliamentary committee. If ever there was a piece of legislation that should be referred for further scrutiny, this is probably it. It goes to the heart of our democracy. Our democracy is our greatest strength and our greatest asset. A piece of legislation as complex and as important as this must be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee.

The member for Curtin's request is a very simple and reasonable request. As we've heard from other members on the crossbench, there is no rush. There is no reason why it can't go through that inquiry, why the experts can't scrutinise it and why it can't be interrogated. This is our democracy, and we know that democracy is fragile. We can never take it for granted. We see what's happening in other nations whose democracies have a strong and long history and who are also becoming more and more polarised. That is something that we do not want to see in this country. We saw at the last election and at other recent elections a growing diversity in our parliament. More eyes, more voices, more debate—that is what makes our democracy strong. Many of us here on the crossbench are concerned, as are many people across the nation, that this legislation may undermine our democracy—maybe in an unintended way, but it may. So we absolutely need to scrutinise the proper process for one of the most important pieces of legislation that has come in this term. As the minister himself has said, it must be scrutinised in a parliamentary committee. It must have proper process. Our democracy is our strongest asset. There is no rush. We must do everything to keep it a strong and as vibrant as possible.