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Labour pushes for greater electoral roll registrations

Author
Dylan Moran ,
Publish Date
Sat, 9 May 2015, 8:35am
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images

Labour pushes for greater electoral roll registrations

Author
Dylan Moran ,
Publish Date
Sat, 9 May 2015, 8:35am

Updated 1.58pm: The Labour Party wants to force people to get on the electoral roll, by withholding state support from people who don't.

The party's General Secretary Tim Barnett says the move would be justified if it helped lift voter turnouts.

It's part of Labour's submission to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee and would require those claiming Working for Families and similar tax credits to be registered.

Mr Barnett says there's widespread concern at the number of people not enrolling to vote, and there's pretty compelling evidence it's a continuing pattern.

However he shied away from commenting on the issue 鈥 refusing to give an interview today.

The proposal isn鈥檛 gaining favour with the Green Party, with co-leader Metiria Turei saying it鈥檚 a confusing idea which will disenfranchise people who already aren鈥檛 motivated to vote.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know why they鈥檝e put it forward, they鈥檝e said it鈥檚 not a policy,鈥 she says.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e said they don鈥檛 necessarily believe it鈥檚 the right idea but it鈥檚 one to be considered. It鈥檚 a very confusing message from Labour.鈥

Ms Turei says the party will oppose the proposal at the submission stage.

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