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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


PARLIAMENTARY ELECTORATES AND ELECTIONS AMENDMENT (PARTY REGISTRATION) BILL 2002





                       New South Wales




Parliamentary Electorates and
Elections Amendment (Party
Registration) Bill 2002


Contents
                                                                      Page

         1 Name of Act                                                  2
         2 Commencement                                                 2
         3 Amendment of Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act
           1912 No 41                                                   2
  Schedule 1 Amendments                                                 3
I certify that this PUBLIC BILL, which originated in the LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, has
finally passed the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL and the LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY of NEW
SOUTH WALES.

                                              Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.
                                              Legislative Assembly,
                                              Sydney,                       , 2002




                               New South Wales


Parliamentary Electorates and
Elections Amendment (Party
Registration) Bill 2002
Act No     , 2002



An Act to amend the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912 in relation
to the registration of political parties.




I have examined this Bill, and find it to correspond in all respects with the Bill as
finally passed by both Houses.


                            Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Assembly.
Clause 1          Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment (Party Registration)
                  Bill 2002




The Legislature of New South Wales enacts:

   1     Name of Act
             This Act is the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment
             (Party Registration) Act 2002.

   2     Commencement
             This Act commences on a day or days to be appointed by
             proclamation.

   3     Amendment of Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912 No 41
             The Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912 is amended as
             set out in Schedule 1.




Page 2
Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment (Party Registration)
Bill 2002

Amendments                                                               Schedule 1




Schedule 1           Amendments
                                                                             (Section 3)


 [1]    Section 66D Application for registration

        Insert after section 66D (2):
              (2A) An application for the registration of a party may include an
                   additional list of names and addresses of electors who are
                   members of the party (and accompanying declarations) to
                   supplement the required list of 750 electors who are members
                   of the party in the event that the Electoral Commissioner
                   determines that the party is not entitled to rely on any person
                   named in the application as a member of the party.

 [2]    Section 66D (4)

        Insert after section 66D (3):
                (4) On receipt of an application for the registration of a party, the
                    Electoral Commissioner may carry out preliminary tests and
                    inquiries (including any test or inquiry referred to in section
                    66G) to determine whether the party is an eligible party and the
                    application is duly made.

 [3]    Section 66DA Notice of application for registration

        Omit "On receipt of an application for the registration of a party, the" from
        section 66DA (1).
        Insert instead "If, after carrying out any preliminary tests and inquiries with
        respect to an application for the registration of a party, the Electoral
        Commissioner is satisfied that the party may be an eligible party and the
        application may be duly made, the".




                                                                                Page 3
                   Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment (Party Registration)
                   Bill 2002

Schedule 1         Amendments




 [4]     Section 66FA Entitlements resulting from party registration not available
         until first anniversary of registration

         Insert after section 66FA (3):
                (4) If the registration of a party has been wrongfully delayed by
                    any act or omission of the Electoral Commissioner, the
                    Supreme Court or the Electoral Commissioner may, by order,
                    backdate the registration of the party to the date on which the
                    party should have been registered. Such an order cannot be
                    made so as to backdate the registration of a party to a date
                    during or before a previous period referred to in section 66F.
                (5) The Register of Parties cannot be amended to backdate the
                    registration of a party, except as authorised by an order under
                    subsection (4).

 [5]     Section 66G Refusal to register

         Insert after section 66G (2):
              (2A) The Electoral Commissioner:
                   (a)   may, before registering a party, require a written
                         response from at least a specified percentage of all or
                         any specified number of the members relied on for
                         registration of the party confirming that they are in fact
                         members of the party, and
                   (b)   may adopt any other test for verifying membership of
                         the party that must be satisfied before the party is
                         registered, and
                   (c)   may make other inquiries about the members of the
                         party or the party for the purpose of determining
                         whether the party is an eligible party and the application
                         for its registration is duly made.
                     The regulations may (but need not) sanction particular tests or
                     inquiries for the purposes of this subsection.




Page 4
Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment (Party Registration)
Bill 2002

Amendments                                                               Schedule 1




 [6]    Section 66I Cancellation of registration

        Insert after section 66I (2):
              (2A) Without limiting subsection (2), the Electoral Commissioner
                   may, for the purpose of determining whether a registered party
                   is still an eligible party:
                   (a)      carry out the tests and inquiries referred to in section
                            66G (2A), and
                   (b)      require any such test to be satisfied within a reasonable
                            period determined by the Electoral Commissioner.

 [7]    Section 66K Statutory declarations

        Insert after section 66K (2):
                (3) This section extends to verification of information provided by
                    persons relied on as members of a party for the purposes of
                    registration or continued registration.

 [8]    Section 66N Transitional and other arrangements

        Insert after section 66N (12):
               (13) The power conferred on the Electoral Commissioner by section
                    66G (2A), or by any other provision made by the
                    Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment (Party
                    Registration) Act 2002, is taken to have been conferred on and
                    from the commencement of the new registration requirements,
                    and anything done or omitted by the Electoral Commissioner
                    before the commencement of the provision that would have
                    been validly done or omitted if the provision had been in force
                    when it was done or omitted is validated.
               (14) Without limiting subsection (13), the Electoral Commissioner
                    was entitled (and continues to be entitled) to refuse to register
                    (or to continue the registration of) a party until at least 75% of
                    a sample of or of about 300 members relied on for registration
                    or continued registration of the party (and chosen by the
                    Electoral Commissioner) have replied to a letter from the
                    Electoral Commissioner confirming that they are members of
                    the party.


                                                                                Page 5
                 Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment (Party Registration)
                 Bill 2002

Schedule 1       Amendments




             (15) Despite anything to the contrary in this Part:
                  (a)   the initial registration of the party called Save Our
                        Suburbs that was directed to be made by order of the
                        Supreme Court on 30 August 2002 is not affected by
                        any amendment to this Part made by the Parliamentary
                        Electorates and Elections Amendment (Party
                        Registration) Act 2002, and
                  (b)   that party is taken to have been registered on 1 March
                        2002, and
                  (c)   the Register of Parties may be amended accordingly.
             (16) Subsections (13) and (14) have effect in connection with an
                  application for the registration or continued registration of a
                  party even though proceedings are pending in a court on the
                  commencement of those subsections in connection with that
                  application or registration.




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