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2002-2003
The Parliament of
the
Commonwealth of
Australia
HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
Commonwealth Electoral
Amendment (Representation of Territories) Bill
2003
Explanatory
Memorandum
Circulated by Mr
Tollner
Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Representation of
Territories) Bill
2003
Outline
The
purpose of the Bill is to provide for a minimum of two seats each for the
Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory in the House of
Representatives. This follows the determination in February 2003 of the
Commonwealth Electoral Commission under s.48 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act
that under the entitlement quota calculated in the 13th month after
the first meeting of the newly elected House of Representatives, the Northern
Territory would lose its second seat, due to population shift. The Northern
Territory first gained a second seat under the quota, dividing the electorate of
the Northern Territory into the seats of Lingiari and Solomon, at the 2001
election. Population projections suggest that the Northern Territory will again
have the population for two seats under the entitlement quota in
2005.
Provisions
Subsection (1B)
inserted after subsection 48(1) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act provides for
an immediate redistribution if, as is the case, the numbers of members of the
House of Representatives has been altered under subsection 2B. Effectively this
clause provides for the change to take effect before the next general
election.
New subsection 48 (2B) alters the current provision of the Act
for a single Member for the ACT and NT and provides for the two Territories to
each elect a minimum of two Members to the House of Representatives.