High Court Vindicates Prisoner Votes Concern - Greens

Media Release, 30 August 2007

"Western Australia's electoral laws need to be amended to reflect the High Court's ruling on prisoners' voting rights," said Greens MLC Giz Watson.

The Greens warned the Government in October last year that laws taking the vote away from all prisoners could be found to be unconstitutional, but they went ahead anyway.

"I highlighted legal concerns about the prisoner vote ban when it was debated last year", said Greens MLC Giz Watson.

"Now that the High Court has ruled in favour of a prisoner's right to vote, Western Australia's electoral laws will need to be changed again."

"We should take the opportunity to give the vote to all prisoners so that they can be encouraged to engage with society, not be driven further apart from it."

An extract from last October's Parliamentary Debates can be viewed at http://www.mp.wa.gov.au/giz-watson/speeches/2006/electoral01.html