Unsolicited Political Communications Legislation Amendment Bill 2021
25 October 2021

2019-2020-2021

 

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time

 

 

 

 

Unsolicited Political Communications Legislation Amendment Bill 2021

 

No.      , 2021

 

(Ms Sharkie)

 

 

 

A Bill for an Act to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and the Spam Act 2003 , and for related purposes

   

   



Contents

1............ Short title............................................................................................ 1

2............ Commencement.................................................................................. 1

3............ Schedules............................................................................................ 2

Schedule 1—Amendments                                                                                                 3

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918                                                                           3

Spam Act 2003                                                                                                               3

 

 



A Bill for an Act to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and the Spam Act 2003 , and for related purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1   Short title

                   This Act is the Unsolicited Political Communications Legislation Amendment Act 2021 .

2   Commencement

             (1)  Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provisions

Commencement

Date/Details

1.  The whole of this Act

The 28th day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.

 

Note:          This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.

             (2)  Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.

3   Schedules

                   Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1 Amendments

   

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

1  Subsection 321D(5) (at the end of the table)

Add:

9

the communication is by voice call (within the meaning of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 )

if the call involves an actor who is performing as a person in a particular occupation or in certain circumstances—the call includes such an actor

2  Application provision

The amendment of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 made by this Schedule applies to communication that occurs after the commencement of this item.

Spam Act 2003

3  Section 3

Omit:

•      This Act sets up a scheme for regulating commercial email and other types of commercial electronic messages.

substitute:

•      This Act sets up a scheme for regulating commercial email, other types of commercial electronic messages and political electronic messages.

4  Section 3

After “electronic messages” (second, third and fourth occurring), insert “and political electronic messages”.

5  Section 4

Insert:

political electronic message means an electronic message that:

                     (a)  is sent, or caused to be sent, by a registered political party; or

                     (b)  contains electoral m atter (within the meaning of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 ).

6  Section 7

Omit “a commercial”, substitute “an”.

7  Part 2 (heading)

After “ commercial ”, insert “ and political ”.

8  Section 15

After “electronic messages” (wherever occurring), insert “or political electronic messages”.

9  Section 16 (heading)

After “ commercial ”, insert “ and political ”.

10  Subsections 16(1) and (6)

After “a commercial electronic message”, insert “or a political electronic message”.

11  Section 17 (heading)

After “ Commercial ”, insert “ and political ”.

12  Subsection 17(1)

After “a commercial electronic message”, insert “or a political electronic message”.

13  Section 18 (heading)

After “ Commercial ”, insert “ and political ”.

14  Subsection 18(1)

After “a commercial electronic message”, insert “or a political electronic message”.

15  At the end of section 18

Add:

           (10)  For the purposes of the application of this section to a political electronic message, where the sending of the message is authorised by an individual or organisation, an  unsubscribe message  is:

                     (a)  an electronic message to the effect that the relevant electronic account-holder does not want to receive any further political electronic messages from or authorised by that individual or organisation; or

                     (b)  an electronic message to similar effect.

16  Subsections 20(2), 21(2), 22(2) and 28(2)

After “commercial electronic messages”, insert “or political electronic messages”.

17  Section 37

After “commercial electronic messages”, insert “or political electronic messages”.

18  Paragraph 38(1)(a)

After “commercial electronic messages”, insert “or political electronic messages”.

19  At the end of subsection 40(1)

Add “or political electronic messages”.

20  At the end of subparagraphs 42(a)(i), (b)(i) and (c)(i)

Add “or political electronic messages”.

21  At the end of paragraph 45(1)(a)

Add “or political electronic messages”.

22  Clause 1 of Schedule 1 (note 1)

After “commercial”(second occurring), insert “or political”.

23  Clause 1 of Schedule 1 (note 2)

After “commercial” (second and third occurring), insert “or political”.

24  Clause 1 of Schedule 2 (note)

After “commercial”, insert “or political”.

25  Paragraph 4(2)(d) of Schedule 2

After “commercial electronic messages” (wherever occurring), insert “or political electronic messages (whichever is relevant)”.

26  Paragraphs 6(1)(b) and (c) of Schedule 2

Omit “commercial”.

27  Subparagraph 6(1)(d)(i) of Schedule 2

After “commercial electronic messages”, insert “or political electronic messages (whichever is relevant)”.

28  Application provision

The amendments of the Spam Act 2003 made by this Schedule apply to an electronic message sent after the commencement of this item.