95HAutomatic grant of free time to certain parties

##### 95H Automatic grant of free time to certain parties (1) The Tribunal must, within the prescribed period in relation to an election, grant a period of free time to each political party that: (a) was represented by one or more members in the relevant Parliament or legislature immediately before the end of the last sittings of that Parliament or legislature held before the election; and (b) is contesting the election with at least the prescribed number of candidates. (2) The total free time period to be granted to political parties under subsection (1) is the period equal to 90% of the total time in respect of the election, and the Tribunal must grant each of those parties such part of that total free time period as it determines in accordance with the regulations. (3) Regulations made for the purposes of subsection (2) must, so far as is practicable, give effect to the principle that the amount of free time granted to each party should bear the same proportion to the total free time period mentioned in that subsection as the number of formal first preference votes obtained by that party or its candidates at the last election to the relevant Parliament or legislature bears to the total number of such votes obtained by all of the parties mentioned in subsection (1) or their candidates at that last election. (4) In this section: > election means an election (other than a by‑election) to: (a) the Parliament of the Commonwealth; or (b) the legislature of a Territory; or (c) a State Parliament. > total time, in relation to an election, means the total free time available in respect of the election, being a time worked out in accordance with the regulations.