Queensland State Policy Announcement

Pratt, “Community Based Referendum will give power back to the people.”

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome, I am Dorothy Pratt, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation candidate for Barambah and Queensland State spokeswoman for Community Based Referendum.

I am pleased to announce Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has formulated a policy for direct democratic involvement of the Australian people.

The policy is called Community Based Referendum and will be taken to the polls as an issue at the next state and federal election.

Community Based Referendum is an important policy that simply says you have faith in good sense and fairminded attitude of Australians.

Community Based Referendum will give the ordinary people of Queensland the opportunity to directly address the issues of real concern which are all to often swpt under the carpet following each election.

Community Based Referendum will grant the people of Queensland the right and ability to initiate legislation directly.

It will not hinder our Westminster system of representative Government, rather, it will enhance our system of democracy by ensuring real issues are debated and addressed.

By putting forward this policy, One Nation is making it clear we believe in not only upholding the right but the need for ordinary Australians to effectively raise debate on issues of concern and have the mechanism to democratically pursue those issues to produce an outcome of legislative change.

It is only Pauline Hanson’s One Nation that has the faith in the Australian people and acknowledges the need for their direct involvement in the process of democracy.

The facility for ordinary Australians to initiate debate on important issues has long been ignored by other parties who see themselves as above the people and see policies such as Community Based Referendum as a threat to their power.

Unlike the Liberals, Nationals and Labor we believe that with power comes the responsibility of being inclusive not exclusive and that proper and successful government is all a matter of consultation with, and input from the people.

It is estimated that CBR held in conjunction with a state election will cost Au$50,000.

It is important to understand this policy of direct democracy is, itself, the issue. This is not about creating a mechanism for any particular issue rather it is about providing the facility for Australians to raise their concerns for debate and public decision.

It is only Pauline Hanson’s One Nation that embraces community involvement in decision making and the absolute necessity for Australians to become directly involved in their country’s direction.

Rather than fearing the Australian people, we draw on their strength and intelligence to guide the development of our policies and our efforts to reclaim our country.

The policy will be implemented in essence, as follows:

1. A sponsoring committee of 12 people individually certified as electors before a Justice of the Peace will collect a minimum of 400 signatories validated from the electoral roll as electors in support of the proposal and will then lodge an application for registration with the State Electoral Commission.
2. If the Electoral Commission assesses the proposal as being able to be given legal effect, the sponsoring committee then has 12 months to gather the signatures of at least 2% of electors on the roll from more than 50% of electorates. Note with 89 electorates it would be necessary to collect the appropriate number of signatures from at least 45 electorates.
3. The total number of signatures collected must not be less than 2% of electors validated from the electoral roll for the state.
4. If the Electoral Commissioner is satisfied the proposal has been supported by the required number of electors, then the Parliamentary Council will commence the drafting of the appropriate bill. The bill will then be presented to the Parliament who will have the opportunity of passing the bill or making recommendations for improvement.
5. If the bill is not passed by the Parliament it will be automatically referred for referendum at the same time as the next election.
6. If the appropriately collected signatures equals at least 5% of electors, the proposal must be submitted to a referendum within three months.

When the proposed law is approved by a majority of electors voting at the referendum and in more than 50% of electorates, the proposal is presented to the Government for assent. Following assent, the bill becomes law.

NOTE: The government may also at any time address the proposal before the issue goes to a referendum.

NOTE: No proposal can contravene the rule of law that treats everyone equally or the rules of natural justice that require fairness.

NOTE: The same principles are also applicable for federal issues and appropriately this policy of community based referendum has been adopted by Pauline Hanson’s One Nation at a federal level as well.

Community Based Referendum is relatively simple, inexpensive, and a democratically effective method of ensuring that the laws under which people live are approved by the people themselves.

Statement by Dorothy Pratt, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation candidate for Barambah and Pauline Hanson MP, member for Oxley.

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