Paul Goldsmith: Justice Minister on the ban on prisoner voting

The Justice Minister says reinstating a total ban on prisoner voting is not likely to change the outcome of elections.  

The proposal would reverse changes introduced in 2020 allowing prisoners serving sentences of less than three years to vote. 

People detained on remand or serving sentences of home detention will still be able to vote.  

Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking the number of votes coming out of prisons is not enough to sway a result.  

He says it's about sending a signal to people who breach the rights and responsibilities of living in society. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Government revisiting prisoners voting rights under the last government that
changed the law, of course, to allow those in jail
for less than three years to vote. Current government intends
to flip that. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has well, that's
very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Morning.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Well the urban myth that labor liked that because the
crooks vote for them and they don't vote for you,
is that real or not?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Do you reckon? Ah? No, I mean the numbers are
very small in terms of the overall vote, so it
doesn't change the outcome of elections. But what it is
about sending a clear signal there being a member of
society's about rights and responsibilities. If you breach those responsibilities
to the extent that you're sent to prison, you know,
we think you lose the right to vote temporarily until

(00:40):
you get out.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
What about the counter argument, which says, at the lesser
end of the prison spectrum, you're going to go back
into society, you feel a part of something, you don't
want to lose too many contacts, et cetera. Is there
something in that or not?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Oh? I don't think so. I mean, voting's not about
losing contact with society. It is a civil sort of
right and an opportunity. I think it's about sending a
clear message that if you breach those responsibilities, you should
lose the right to vote. Now, that's what it was,
you know, back in twenty twenty, at the height of
Desindra Dun's soft on crime approach, they took it that

(01:12):
they reversed our our ban and we don't agree with that,
and so we're going to put it back right.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
What's the timeframe we've.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Got at once every three years is a piece of
legislation dealing with electoral matters and we're going to be
introducing ours in the next couple of months and so
it'll be passed before the next election.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Appreciate it. Paul Goldsmith won't be retrospective too, by the way,
Paul Goldsmith the Justice Minister.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
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