146No action for defamation in certain cases

146 No action for defamation in certain cases

No action or proceeding, civil or criminal, for defamation lies: (a) against the Commonwealth or an electoral official conducting, on behalf of the AEC, an election under the Act or these Regulations, in relation to: (i) the printing or issuing of material by the electoral official being material prepared by or on behalf of a candidate in the election; or (ii) the printing or issuing of a post‑election report given by the AEC under section 197 of the Act; or (b) if the report or other material mentioned in paragraph (a) is printed by another person—against that person, in relation to the printing.