Electoral articles to be signed or state particulars of author
149 Electoral articles to be signed or state particulars of author
A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person distributes a circular, pamphlet or handbill containing an electoral article; and
either of the following applies:
the article is not signed by its author;
(ii) the true name and address of its author is not specified at the end of the article.
Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a publication of an Agency, or a business or visiting card promoting a person's candidacy, unless the publication or card includes a representation of a ballot paper.
(3) An electoral article published in a newspaper must contain the true name and address of its author at the end of the article.
The proprietor of a newspaper commits an offence if:
the proprietor engages in conduct; and
the conduct results in a contravention of subsection (3).
Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units.
(5) Subsections (1) and (4) do not apply to the publication in a newspaper of:
a leading article; or
an article that:
consists solely of a report of a meeting; and
(ii) does not contain any comment (other than comment made by a speaker at the meeting).
In this section:
address, of the author of an electoral article, means:
(a) if the author is the proprietor of a newspaper or an employee of the proprietor of a newspaper – the proprietor's business address; or
(b) otherwise – the street name (if any) and locality of the author's residence.
electoral article means an article, report, letter or other matter, or part of an article, report, letter or other matter, commenting on a candidate or the issues being submitted to, or otherwise before, the electors at the election.
This Act’s bill:Explanatory statementSecond reading speech
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