The Hon Ben Morton

An updated Candidate Qualification Checklist has been released as an Exposure Draft for public comment.

The revised Checklist responds to Recommendation 1 of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters’ (JSCEM) Report on the conduct of the 2019 federal election and matters related thereto.

The Exposure Draft Checklist is more streamlined with six fewer questions. Consistent with the JSCEM recommendation, the Checklist makes some questions mandatory for candidates nominating to be elected to the Australian Parliament, and requests important information as to a candidate and their parents’ date and place of birth, and date of naturalisation (if not an Australian Citizen at time of birth).

Clarifying existing disclosure requirements, candidates are also requested to advise if they became a citizen of a country other than Australia as a result of a relationship with a current/former spouse or partner. 

The Checklist is part of the candidate nomination forms and allows candidates to demonstrate their eligibility to be elected to Parliament under section 44 of the Australian Constitution.

The Checklist was first introduced in 2019 following High Court rulings that a number of Parliamentarians were ineligible to sit in Parliament due to holding dual citizenship.

Public comments on the Exposure Draft of the Checklist are welcome, with feedback closing at 5:00pm on 9 August 2021.

Comments can be provided to the following email address:  ChecklistFeedback@finance.gov.au.