Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 3:26:31 to 3:29:31
The AEC Commissioner provides an update on the timeline for the Queensland redistribution, noting the committee's schedule and the impact of a potential early election on boundaries.
Topics: Integrity, Public service staffing
Speakers: Jeff Pope, Senator The Hon James McGrath, Speaker 1, Unknown Speaker, Interjection
in relation to the Queensland redistribution. is the Queensland redistribution progressing to schedule? And, uh, if you could remind me of what the dates are, please.
>> Yes. Uh, yes, it is, Senator. So, uh, the end of this week is the conclusion of the twoe period for comments on suggestions. Um we got 63 suggestions in the in the 4-week period that suggestions were open. Um so the team will start analyzing the suggestions and the comments on suggestions over the coming weeks and then I'm scheduled to um convene and chair the redistribution committee with my fellow committee members at the end of November. We are doing a a truncated approach because we're conscious of the timeline. Uh so we're meeting um on a number of consecutive days to try and work our way through this um as expeditially as we possibly can, but obviously not compromising on process or integrity.
>> And the the Queensland retribution is not due to be finalized until is it
22 of September 2027 is the determination date, but just like the three that have concluded, we will make the announcement I think a couple of months prior to that is what I anticipate. So, it's on a fairly similar trajectory to the three that we've concluded. And we made those announcements in July when the determination date was the 8th
of October. And if an election is called before the determination is gazetted. Uh yeah. >> Uh would that mean that the election is then held on the old boundaries? >> One minute. Uh well, chair, I've got lots of questions, but I'm not going to push uh the friendship by um pushing answers past 11:00. So, I'll put the rest on notice. Thank you, Commissioner to you and your team for coming in.
>> Thanks, Senator. I can just say also election returns, we have seven outstanding, which includes donors, um that we're still working on >> and that's that's about normal.
>> No worries about Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. We really appreciate your time.
>> Thank you.
>> Um that does conclude today's hearing and I'd like to thank all the witnesses who appeared to Hansard to broadcasting and to our secretariat for their assistance. And I now declare this meeting of the finance and public administration legislation committee