Joint House Committee Inquiry into 2021 Elections
Media Release | 23 August 2021
Independent Member for Nelson said the resumption of parliament provides the first opportunity for the Lower House to consider the Legislative Council’s request for a Joint House Committee into the conduct of the concurrent 2021 Elections.
“The Legislative Council believes Tasmanians deserve the same transparency that the Federal, NSW and Victorian parliaments enjoy as a matter of routine – post-election parliamentary inquiries as a democratic health-check,” Ms Webb said.
“There is no logical reason that Tasmania – with a self-professed ‘most transparent government ever’ – to run away from a proposed election review.
“Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Premier Dan Andrew didn’t baulk at the automatic post-election reviews their respective Parliaments conducted. Instead, they participated.”
Ms Webb said matters of concern arising from the unprecedented 2021 concurrent State and Legislative Council elections include:
- The impact of concurrent Lower and Upper House elections upon the TEC administration and election operations
- The implications of concurrent Lower and Upper House elections for diversity of representation
- The impact of the lack of rigorous State-based political donation laws for House of Assembly candidates
- The identified disenfranchisement of voters in Windermere and Derwent electorates
- Appropriate independent oversight of MPs and Ministers of the Crown once Parliament is dissolved
- The application of Caretaker Conventions
- The preselection, election and subsequent standing down of Adam Brooks
“It is an established convention for each House to agree to participate in a Joint Parliamentary Committee proposed by the other Chamber.
“If Premier Gutwein doesn’t have anything to hide, then he will not have any problem with providing Tasmanians the same democratic right to be involved in an accountable and transparent election review as their interstate counterparts.
“Wouldn’t it be great if Premier Gutwein went into bat for the health and integrity of Tasmania’s electoral system as vigorously as he does for the State’s stand-alone AFL team?”
Read or watch Meg’s 2021 Elections JSC Motion speech
