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ELECTORAL MATTERS COMMITTEE

Inquiry into whether the provisions of the Electoral Act 2002 should be amended to make better provision for misleading or deceptive electoral conduct

Submissions invited

The Parliament of Victoria’s Electoral Matters Committee received terms of reference from
the Legislative Council to inquire into, consider and report to the Parliament no later than
28 February 2010:

(1) On the deliberate misleading of the electors in the 28 June 2008 Kororoit by-election, whereby
a pamphlet authorised by the Secretary of the Australian Labor Party was distributed that
claimed “A vote for Les Twentyman is a vote for the Liberals” contributing, in the opinion
of the Victorian Electoral Commissioner, to “an undesirable trend for candidates
to take advantage or build on community misunderstandings of preferential voting with
confusing statements”; and

(2) As the Victorian Electoral Commissioner has suggested in his Report on the Kororoit District
By-election held on 28 June 2008, whether the Electoral Act 2002 should be amended
to improve the operation of the misleading provisions of the Act so that such abuses are
more likely to be successfully prosecuted. The Committee invites written submissions from
individuals and organisations addressing the above terms of reference.
The closing date for submissions is Monday 3 August 2009.

The Committee intends to conduct public hearings in the Legislative Council Committee Room,
Second Floor, Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne on Tuesday, 18 August and Wednesday,
19 August 2009. All submissions are treated as public documents (and will be published on the Committee’s
website), unless confidentiality is requested and granted by the Committee.

For further information, please contact the Committee Secretariat on (03) 8682 2887 or
email emc@parliament.vic.gov.au The Committee requires all submissions to be signed hard copy originals,
and would also appreciate receiving an electronic copy of the written submission in Word or PDF format.

Submissions should be sent to:
The Executive Officer
Electoral Matters Committee
Parliament House
Spring Street
EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002

Adem Somyurek MLC
Chair