High Court Justice Kenneth Haynes, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, has declared last year’s federal senate election for WA void.
The move was the last step in a series of legal moves to declare the invalid after it was discovered that the Australian Election Commission has lost nearly 1,400 ballot papers.
In a historical first WA will now go back to the polls for a second attempt at the election. The additional election is expected to cost tax payers $13million.
The date of the election will be declared by WA’s Governor Malcolm McCusker (pictured).
The new election need to have the same candidates as the first poll, but both the Liberal and Labor party have already declared that they will run the same candidates.
The first count of the poll saw the Liberal party win three seats, Labor picking up two seats and the Palmer United Party taking the final spot. However the final two candidate’s, Labor’s Senator Louise Pratt and Zhenya ‘Dio’ Wang only won by a small margin. When a recount was ordered The Green’s sitting Senator Scott Ludlum and Wayne Dropulich from the Sports Party were awarded the final two seats.
OIP Staff
