South Australia

Referendum (Legislative Council Reform) Bill 2006

A Bill For

An Act to provide for the submission of the Constitution (Legislative Council Reform) Amendment Bill 2006 to a referendum.

Contents

1 Short title

2 The Referendum

3 Conduct of referendum

4 Distribution to electors of arguments for and against the Bill

5 Appointment of scrutineers

6 Declaration of result

7 Regulations

The Parliament of South Australia enacts as follows:

1—Short title

This Act may be cited as the Referendum (Legislative Council Reform) Act 2006.

2—The Referendum

(1) The Constitution (Legislative Council Reform) Amendment Bill 2006 must, when passed by the Parliament but before being presented to the Governor for assent, be submitted to a referendum of electors for the House of Assembly.

(2) The question to be put to electors at the referendum is as follows:

Do you approve the Constitution (Legislative Council Reform) Amendment Bill 2006?

(3) The referendum will be held on a date appointed by proclamation for the purpose, being a date falling at least 2 months after the Bill is passed by Parliament.

3—Conduct of referendum

(1) The Electoral Commissioner is responsible for the conduct of the referendum.

(2) The Electoral Act 1985 applies to the referendum with adaptions, exclusions and modifications prescribed by regulation as if the referendum were a general election of members of the House of Assembly.

4—Distribution to electors of arguments for and against the Bill

(1) If within 4 weeks after the passage of the Constitution (Legislative Council Reform) Amendment Bill 2006 there is forwarded to the Electoral Commissioner—

(a) an argument in favour of the Bill, consisting of not more than 2 000 words, authorised by a majority of those members of the Parliament who voted for the Bill; or

(b) an argument against the Bill, consisting of not more than 2 000 words, authorised by a majority of those members of the Parliament who voted against the Bill,

the Electoral Commissioner must, not later than 14 days before the voting day for the referendum, cause to be printed and to be posted to each elector, as nearly as practicable, a pamphlet containing the arguments.

(2) A pamphlet under subsection (1) may contain such other information, or be accompanied by such material, as the Electoral Commissioner thinks fit.

5—Appointment of scrutineers

A political party registered under the Electoral Act 1985 may by notice in a form approved by the Electoral Commissioner appoint one or more scrutineers for the purposes of the referendum.

6—Declaration of result

When the result of the referendum is known, the Electoral Commissioner must declare the result by notice in the Gazette.

7—Regulations

The Governor may make such regulations as are contemplated by, or necessary or expedient for the purposes of, this Act.