Acts Interpretation Amendment (Aboriginality) Bill 2023 - First Reading - Consider the bill
Not passed by a large majority
No rebellions 63% attendance
Division last edited 4th Aug 2023 by mackay staff
The large majority voted against a motion:
That the Acts Interpretation Amendment (Aboriginality) Bill 2023 be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 4 September 2023.
Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson has attempted to get this bill considered twice: once on 11 May 2023 and once on 14 June 2023. Both times it was rejected by the large majority.
The bill would change the definition of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person in the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 by adding the following section:
2N Person of the Aboriginal race of Australia , indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait Islands, etc.
(1) In any Act, a reference to a person of the Aboriginal race of Australia, to a member of the Aboriginal race of Australia or to a descendant of an indigenous inhabitant of Australia is a reference to a person who is a member of a registered native title body corporate (within the meaning of the Native Title Act 1993 ) that holds the native title rights and interests of an area of land or waters other than in the Torres Strait.
(2) In any Act, a reference to a descendant of an indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait Islands is a reference to a person who is a member of a registered native title body corporate (within the meaning of the Native Title Act 1993 ) that holds the native title rights and interests of an area of land or waters in the Torres Strait.
Its purpose seems to be to ensure that only those Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who are members of a "registered native title body corporate" that currently holds Native Title to an area of land or water will count as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person for the purposes of federal law.
See this Report (4.2 MB) from the National Native Title Tribunal for maps that give an indication of just how many people would not be covered by this definition, given the limited amount of Native Title held over areas in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as throughout the other states and territories.
Nobody rebelled against their party.
Party | Votes | |
---|---|---|
Australian Greens (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 11 No | |
Penny Allman-Payne Queensland | No | |
Dorinda Cox WA | No | |
Mehreen Faruqi NSW | No | |
Sarah Hanson-Young SA | No | |
Nick McKim Tasmania | No | |
Barbara Pocock SA | No | |
Janet Rice Victoria | No | |
David Shoebridge NSW | No | |
Jordon Steele-John WA | No | |
Larissa Waters Queensland | No | |
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | No | |
Australian Labor Party (72% turnout) | 0 Yes – 18 No | |
Tim Ayres NSW | No | |
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | No | |
Carol Brown Tasmania | No | |
Anthony Chisholm Queensland | No | |
Katy Gallagher ACT | No | |
Karen Grogan SA | No | |
Jenny McAllister NSW | No | |
Deborah O'Neill NSW | No | |
Fatima Payman WA | No | |
Helen Polley Tasmania | No | |
Louise Pratt WA | No | |
Tony Sheldon NSW | No | |
Marielle Smith SA | No | |
Glenn Sterle WA | No | |
Jana Stewart Victoria | No | |
Anne Urquhart Tasmania | No | |
Jess Walsh Victoria | No | |
Linda White Victoria | No | |
Raff Ciccone Victoria | Absent | |
Patrick Dodson WA | Absent | |
Don Farrell SA | Absent | |
Nita Green Queensland | Absent | |
Malarndirri McCarthy NT | Absent | |
Murray Watt Queensland | Absent | |
Penny Wong SA | Absent | |
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price NT Country Liberal Party | Absent | |
Andrew McLachlan SA Deputy President | No | |
David Pocock ACT Independent | No | |
Lidia Thorpe Victoria Independent | Absent | |
Jacqui Lambie Network (100% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania | Yes | |
Tammy Tyrrell Tasmania | Yes | |
Liberal National Party (50% turnout) | 0 Yes – 1 No | |
Matthew Canavan Queensland | No | |
James McGrath Queensland | Absent | |
Liberal Party (21% turnout) | 0 Yes – 5 No | |
Wendy Askew Tasmania | No | |
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania | No | |
Sarah Henderson Victoria | No | |
Jane Hume Victoria | No | |
Matt O'Sullivan WA | No | |
Alex Antic SA | Absent | |
Simon Birmingham SA | Absent | |
Andrew Bragg NSW | Absent | |
Slade Brockman WA | Absent | |
Michaelia Cash WA | Absent | |
Claire Chandler Tasmania | Absent | |
Richard Colbeck Tasmania | Absent | |
David Fawcett SA | Absent | |
Hollie Hughes NSW | Absent | |
Maria Kovacic NSW | Absent | |
Kerrynne Liddle SA | Absent | |
James Paterson Victoria | Absent | |
Marise Payne NSW | Absent | |
Gerard Rennick Queensland | Absent | |
Linda Reynolds WA | Absent | |
Anne Ruston SA | Absent | |
Paul Scarr Queensland | Absent | |
Dean Smith WA | Absent | |
David Van Victoria | Absent | |
National Party (25% turnout) | 0 Yes – 1 No | |
Ross Cadell NSW | No | |
Perin Davey NSW | Absent | |
Susan McDonald Queensland | Absent | |
Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Absent | |
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (100% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
Pauline Hanson Queensland | Yes | |
Malcolm Roberts Queensland | Yes | |
Sue Lines WA President | Absent | |
Ralph Babet Victoria United Australia Party | Absent | |
Totals (55% turnout) | 4 Yes – 38 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.