DOCSLIB.ORG

Inquiry Into and Report on All Aspects of the Conduct of the 2019 Federal

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Inquiry Into and Report on All Aspects of the Conduct of the 2019 Federal • Have undercover areas outside polling booths for voters in times of wet or hot weather • Have sufficient area outside the polling booth where signage can be displayed without causing lack of traffic visibility and constrained passing foot traffic on foot paths • Remove pre-poll requirements i.e. No different status required for pre-poll voters • Remove ALL booth volunteers off the booths and have HTV cards displayed or made available for voters – inside booth area or inside the 6-meter exclusion zone • Impose a cap on signage per candidate. Some pre-poll booths were heavily impacted by excessive signage from some candidates/parties, leaving no room for others to display • AEC provide a COST V BENEFIT report on all pre-poll booths to stop unnecessary budget over-spend 2: ELECTRONIC ELECTORAL ROLLS In the 2016 Federal Election, over 18,000 voters voted more than once. Voters voted at one polling booth then repeated the process at other booths in the same electorate. The current system of paper-based electoral rolls is not inter- connected, so cross- checking between booths is not possible. These ‘multiple-voters’ are an example of fraud that takes advantage of the shortcomings of paper-based electoral rolls, rather than a memory lapse by ‘political-tragics’. The concern is that extra (fraudulent) votes affect outcomes in tight- run election races. While these repeat offenders have been asked to ‘please explain’ no-one has been prosecuted. “NSW, the most populous state, recorded 6760 instances of apparent multiple voting, compared with 4800 in Victoria and 2792 in Queensland. The Northern Territory recorded the fewest instances with 178. Despite nearly 8000 cases of suspected voting fraud at the 2013 federal election, “(2) If electoral offenses are not able to be punished, the practice will continue. Paper-based electoral rolls are compromised and replacement by electronic electoral online rolls is needed. The following recommendations are suggested to reduce the number of fraudulent voters • The implementation of an ONLINE interconnected NATIONAL ELECTRONIC ELECTORAL ROLL An online, interconnected national Electronic Electoral Roll for Federal Elections, and the equivalent in State Elections, that digitally marks the voter’s name off the roll when voting, will eliminate ‘multiple- voting- fraud’ 3: MANDATORY VOTER IDENTIFICATION TO REDUCE VOTER FRAUD No personal identification is required to vote in federal elections. This lack of identification has allowed voters to abuse the system by voting under another person’s name and address. After the 2016 federal election, 18,343 people were asked to explain why their name had been ticked off more than once. Despite the Australian Federal Police receiving 7743 allegations of voter fraud, only 65 were investigated and not one person was convicted. 3 Many establishments require identification to access their premises; sporting clubs, RSL clubs, nightclubs and surf clubs. Voting is one of the most important responsibilities of citizens. To ensure the system is not compromised by voter fraud, personal identification is an imperative. Naturally there has been some resistance from those arguing on behalf of minorities who may not be able to produce identification. Labor and the Greens head the pack of howlers about ‘disenfranchisement’ of marginalized people yet offer no alternative solution. Over the past 10 years, the issue of voter ID has been discussed, debated and deleted. (3,4) The Queensland State Government introduced voter identification in 2015. The system didn’t collapse; the process was simple and the negative impact on voter turnout was minimal at just 1.1%. If you live and vote in Queensland, an acceptable form of ID can be one of several documents, which every Australian of voting age, will hold. (5) A national voter ID card, however, with a unique voter-number (VN) could be issued and required when voting. • A “NO VN = NO VOTE” campaign to be run 12 months out from next Federal Election to allow voters to request or register for voter ID • Voters without a VN refused voting rights and their details recorded for follow-up It is suggested that Voter-identification in the form of a unique Voter Number (VN) should be a requirement of all future Federal Elections to ensure electoral-system security and integrity 4: ELECTRONIC ONLINE VOTING In the 18 May 2019 election, 830,000 Australian cast informal votes for the lower house, on paper-based ballot papers. (6) Online electronic voting would help reduce the number of informal votes through mandatory ‘fill-boxes’ similar to other online registration processes. The current model of paper-based ballot slips, manual scrutineering and counting of votes comes at a huge cost to taxpayers, is time consuming and it is subject to human error. There are many benefits for online/digital voting; • Decreased cost to taxpayers • Better access for people with disabilities • Reduced number of informal votes • Reduced human error in counting votes • Delivery of election results faster • Eliminating voter fraud thru electronic rolls and voter ID • Reducing the environmental impact of paper-based materials • To bring voting in line with other digital transactions • To run elections in times of national lock-downs due to health or security concerns The need for system safety and security of electronic elections is also important. In the digital world where personal banking, confidential communications, online education, share trading, international money transfers, management of 4 border security, international relations and other ‘sensitive’ activities are conducted online, encrypted online electronic voting is possible and preferable to the current paper-based, manual system. A Joint Standing Committee (JST) in 2014 noted the following benefits of online voting: • provision of a secret ballot for blind and low-vision voters • easier delivery of remote voting services and • secure ballot-handling The JST reported there were equal concerns surrounding costs, transparency, integrity and security with some believing if the ‘system isn’t broken, don’t try and fix IT’ (7). If it isn’t broken – questions should be asked why there are so many inconsistencies and cases of fraud? Secure and encrypted online electronic voting is possible and preferable to the current manual, paper-based process which is open to fraud and human error. 5: OPTIONAL PREFERENCTIAL VOTING In the May 2019 Federal Election, votes were only counted as ‘formal’ when they met AEC requirements. This meant marking EVERY box on the ballot slip, allocating preferences to candidates the voter would NOT ordinarily support. Numerically this advantages major parties where preference deals have been arranged - many without voter’s knowledge. An example is the consistent and regular 80% + preference flows from Greens candidates to Labor candidates. (Of lower impact, but still relevant, are preference flows from minor conservative candidates to major party candidates.) (8) There are three ways votes can be assessed. Each has advantages and disadvantages; however, one method is truly democratic and more accurately reflects voters’ intentions – i.e. Optional Preferential Voting (OPV). (9) The three options to access votes are: • One vote – one value. (first past the post regardless of 50% + majority) • Optional preferential voting (numbering 1 or more preferred candidates) • Mandatory preferential voting (numbering every candidate whether preferred or not) Mandatory Preferential Voting was the system of the House of Reps. In the May 2019 Federal Election where every square on ballot papers had to be filled to record a formal vote. “Full preferential voting sets a high bar for voters. Preferences must be expressed for all candidates, whether known or unknown. To have their first preference counted as formal, voters must distinguish between every candidate on the ballot paper, even between candidates equally disliked, as well as between every serial nutjob who has managed to get on the ballot paper. “(10) MPV has been in place since 1919 and has historically benefited the Liberals over Labor, however that changed in the 1980’s, with Labor benefiting from their close association with The Greens. Overall, optional preferential voting has a principled advantage over full preferential voting in cutting the informal rate, and in not forcing voters to express preferences they don’t have. 5 MPV have also been misused as a net-transfer of votes by ‘hostile preferencing’ against other parties and candidates in an act of virtue signaling, retaliation or as a way of addressing political grievances. While voters are reminded ‘preferences belong to them’ many still faithfully follow party HTV cards. MPV has often returned an ‘upset result’ in elections where the candidate with the most primary votes is defeated by collective coercion by others. A good example is the 2018 Wentworth by-election. Dave Sharma (Liberal) polled 43.08% of PV, Dr Kerryn Phelps (Independent) 29.19% PV. Kerryn Phelps won the seat on the back of preferences from Labor, the Greens and other ‘independents, yet Dave Sharma polled, by far, the most primary votes. (11) In the November 2017 Queensland State Election, preferencing by One Nation against sitting LNP members, resulted in a net-transfer of conservative votes across to Labor, assisting them (Labor) to win seats and form a majority government. Optional Preferential Voting will help reduce major party’s ability to ‘deal-out-of-the-electoral-process’ independent and minor-party candidates. It will also place democratic voter intentions back into the hands of voters themselves. 6: CHANGES TO CANDIDATES ‘HOW TO VOTE’ CARDS In the May 2019 Federal Election, candidate How-To-Vote (HTV) cards were NOT required to display the candidate names AND the party (or independence) they represented. Ballot Papers display these details at the polling booths. This inconsistency should be addressed to remove voter ‘accidental or deliberate confusion’. Volunteers and candidates handed out HTV cards in the May 2019 Federal Election, with ONLY their party (or independence from political parties) clearly marked, and all others listed with ‘name only’.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Migration Amendment (Repairing Medical Transfers) Bill 2019 [Provisions]
    Migration Amendment (Repairing Medical Transfers) Bill 2019 [Provisions] I am writing this submission to put my points before you in the hope and expectation that you will read and consider them. My submission addresses the following points: The necessity of adequate, safe and timely healthcare for the people held on Manus and Nauru Islands. The obligation of Duty of Care towards the people held on the islands by our Government Australia is responsible for the health and safety of the people held on the islands. Why Medevac is necessary to ensure the health and safety of the people held on the islands. Why there is a medical emergency for people held on the islands. Why Medevac does not weaken our country’s border protection. Medevac does not prevent Australians from accessing health care. I support the Medevac legislation which Dr Kerryn Phelps introduced to Parliament last year and which passed through our Parliament and became law. I hope it will not be repealed. DECENT HEALTH CARE Should the Australian Government ne successful in reversing this law, I can see no option other requesting the assistance of the International Red Cross to tend to the health and mental health needs of the refugee people living on the islands of Nauru and Manus. That is, unless the Australian Government members and non-government parliamentary members decide to consciously continue to accept more preventable deaths, illnesses, infections and acute and deteriorating mental health conditions amongst the refugee people than have already occurred — 12 people to date have died — on their watch on those islands.
    [Show full text]
  • 2Nd of April, 2012 Attention
    Submission to the inquiry on the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010 Date of Submission: 2nd of April, 2012 Attention: Committee Secretary Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Australia Email: [email protected] Dear Committee Secretary, To follow is our submission in favour of the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010. Our Submission has 4 parts to it, which include: 1. Introduction 2. Opinion Piece on Marriage Equality from Professor Kerryn Phelps, OAM 3. Opinion Piece on Marriage Equality from Jackie-Stricker Phelps 4. Fact Sheet on Health Benefits of Marriage Equality. Yours truly, Professor Kerryn Phelps Jackie Stricker-Phelps Professor Kerryn Phelps, OAM Jackie Sticker- Phelps Dear Committee and Senators, Across the Western world we are seeing the meme of marriage equality, the evolution of an idea whose time has come. 14 years ago when Jackie and I first married in New York and started talking publicly about same sex marriage in Australia, we had the unflinching support of family and friends. They didn’t all understand what we were on about or why it mattered so much to us, but they supported us and our right to choose. In many parts of the mainstream media, we were met with dismissal, derision or disbelief. But the seed of a meme had been planted. The idea took root and, gradually, it has grown in acceptance and understanding. The meme is moving like a Mexican wave across international borders and continents. The Netherlands (2001), Belgium (2003), Canada and Spain (2005), South Africa (2006), Norway and Sweden (2009), Portugal, Argentina and Iceland (2010), New York State in 2011.
    [Show full text]
  • Commonwealth of Australia
    Commonwealth of Australia Author Wanna, John Published 2019 Journal Title Australian Journal of Politics and History Version Accepted Manuscript (AM) DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/ajph.12576 Copyright Statement © 2019 School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics, School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Commonwealth of Australia, Australian Journal of Politics and History, Volume 65, Issue 2, Pages 295-300, which has been published in final form at 10.1111/ajph.12576. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/388250 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Commonwealth of Australia John Wanna Turnbull’s Bizarre Departure, and a Return to Minority Government for the Morrison-led Coalition Just when political pundits thought federal parliament could not become even wackier than it had been in recent times, the inhabitants of Capital Hill continued to prove everyone wrong. Even serious journalists began referring to the national legislature metaphorically as the “monkey house” to encapsulate the farcical behaviour they were obliged to report. With Tony Abbott being pre-emptively ousted from the prime ministership by Malcolm Turnbull in 2015, Turnbull himself was, in turn, unceremoniously usurped in bizarre circumstances in August 2018, handing over the leadership to his slightly bemused Treasurer Scott Morrison. Suddenly, Australia was being branded as the notorious “coup capital of the Western democracies”, with five prime ministers in five years and only one losing the high office at a general election.
    [Show full text]
  • AMA Media Release
    Australian Medical Association Limited ABN 37 008 426 793 42 Macquarie Street, Barton ACT 2600: PO Box 6090, Kingston ACT 2604 Telephone: (02) 6270 5400 Facsimile (02) 6270 5499 Website : http://www.ama.com.au/ AMA SUPPORTS PHELPS BILL TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF ASYLUM SEEKERS Having gained assurances on key amendments to the legislation in recent days, the AMA supports the asylum seeker Urgent Medical Treatment Bill being promoted by Independent MP and former AMA President, Professor Kerryn Phelps. The Phelps bill will allow the temporary removal of children from offshore detention, create a workable system providing proper health care for refugees and asylum seekers under the protection of the Australian Government, and keeps in place deterrents that prevent asylum seekers risking their lives at sea and endangering themselves and others. AMA President, Dr Tony Bartone, said that it is vital that all asylum seekers and refugees in the care of the Australian Government have access to quality care. “There is compelling evidence that the asylum seekers on Nauru, especially the children, are suffering from serious physical and mental health conditions, and they should be brought to Australia for appropriate quality care,” Dr Bartone said. “This week’s alarming Médecins Sans Frontières report on the health of detainees on Nauru was another signal that urgent action is needed. “This is a health and human rights issue of the highest order. We must do the right thing. “The amended Phelps bill is an important measure that will allow the temporary transfer to Australia from Nauru and Manus sooner for those in need of urgent care.
    [Show full text]
  • F O R Im M E D Ia T E R E L E A
    Article No. 7966 Available on www.roymorgan.com Link to Roy Morgan Profiles Wednesday, 8 May 2019 State of the Nation – Election 2019 a ‘photo finish’ by Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan What seemed like a foregone conclusion after the Liberal Party Leadership upheaval late last year has suddenly become a competitive contest between the L-NP Government led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Bill Shorten-led ALP Opposition. After Turnbull was ‘turfed out’ from his job as Prime Minister in August 2018, and replaced by the then largely unknown among the public Scott Morrison, the Roy Morgan Poll showed the ALP two-party preferred vote spiking to what seemed an unbeatable lead with the Federal Election set to be called within the next few months: ALP 58% cf. L-NP 42% (October 2018). Following the leadership change former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull immediately resigned from his E seat of Wentworth causing a by-election in his seat which was won by Independent candidate Dr. Kerryn Phelps and Liberal MP Julia Banks resigned from the Government and joined the cross-bench. At this time the Morrison Government was beset by instability and appeared to be on the verge of collapse at any moment. Many media commentators (from afar) advised new Prime Minister Morrison to call an early Federal Election to put the political uncertainty to rest. As we now know PM Morrison ignored these calls and pledged to take the Government ‘full-term’ until May 2019, which he has done, and the last three Roy Morgan Polls conducted since mid-April 2019 show a very close contest with the ALP just ahead: ALP 51% cf.
    [Show full text]
  • Our Aussie Thought Leaders
    Our Aussie Thought Leaders By Wendy Parker Parker Public Relations Thought leaders are more than just experts. They are the acknowledged authorities and informed opinion What is a leaders in their industry or area of expertise. They are trusted sources who move and inspire Thought people with innovative ideas, who consistently add to the body of knowledge in their field and Leader? who regularly communicate their valuable insights to motivate others to address problems and find new and better ways of doing things. They are the ones likely to challenge current thinking, put forward ideas for the future or work at changing poor behaviour. In the main thought leaders are people who have earned their stripes in their field, risen to the tops of their careers or devoted their vocations to researching their special interest topic. Thought leaders truly understand the Unlike other high achievers, they business or fields they are in and the recognise that thought leadership is not needs of their customers or community. just about advancing themselves or their They also recognise their failings, businesses but about driving the greater shortcomings and problems … and good. more often than not, have the answers to address those problems. Thought leaders also understand that to influence change they need to be effective They use their status to influence communicators, providing their audiences positive change in their industries, and stakeholders with regular access to communities andthe greater their knowledge, thinking, opinions and marketplace in which they operate… big ideas. even change the way we think about things at a fundamental level.
    [Show full text]
  • Marginal Seat Analysis – 2019 Federal Election
    Australian Landscape Architects Vote 2019 Marginal Seat Analysis – 2019 Federal Election Prepared by Daniel Bennett, Fellow, AILA The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) classifies seats based on the percentage margin won on a ‘two candidate preferred’ basis, which creates a calculation for the swing to change hands. Further, the AEC classify seats based on the following terms: • Marginal (less than 6% swing or 56% of the vote) • Fairly safe (between 6-10% swing or 56-60% of the vote) • Safe (more than 10% swing required and more than 60% of the vote) As an ardent follower of all elections, I offer the following analysis to assist AILA in preparing pre- election materials and perhaps where to focus efforts. As the current Government is a Coalition of the Liberal and National Party, my focus is on the fairly reliable (yet not completely correct) assumption that they have the most to lose and will find it hard to retain the treasury benches. Polls consistently show the Coalition on track to lose from 8 up to 24 seats, which is in plain terms a landslide to the ALP. However polls are just that and have been wrong so many times. So lets focus on what we know. The Marginals. According to the latest analysis by the AEC and the ABC’s Antony Green, the Coalition has 22 marginal seats, there are now 8 cross bench seats, of which 3 are marginal and the ALP have 24 marginal seats. This is a total of 49 marginal seats – a third of all seats! With a new parliament of 151 seats, a new government requires 76 seats to win a majority.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2019-2020
    vvvvv 2 Gender Centre at a Glance Individual 982 Clients 7799 1404 2779 Crisis Medium term Personal Accommodation Accommodation Counselling Nights Nights 772 645 185 Parents Attending Psychological Counselling Support Groups Sessions Clients 250 610 125 Psychological Families Better Access Clients Supported Clients Supported TGD People and their Families 6,092 Supported vvvvv 3 www.gendercentre.org.aug Contents Index Overview of the 1 Gender Centre 2 Who We Are 3 Services Training & 4 Community 5 Governance 6 Acknowledgment 4 Patrons ‘Sometimes, you have to lead when there is no-one you can follow.’ Prof. Kerryn Phelps AM, MBBS(Sydney), before becoming one of the first same sex couples FRACGP, Hon D Litt (UWS) to adopt under the new legislation. As first female Prof. Kerryn Phelps AM is one of Australia’s best- President of the Australian Medical Association, known doctors, health communicators and public Prof Phelps pioneered the first AMA policy on health and civil rights advocates. In 1994 she served gender and sexual diversity and has been a as a member of the executive committee on the prominent media advocate for LGBTIQ health AIDS Council on NSW. She and her wife Jackie issues. Stricker-Phelps began the Australian conversation Prof Phelps is a Patron of ACON’s Pride in on marriage equality back in 1998 and fought for Health+Wellbeing program. Prof Phelps is a GP marriage equality for almost two decades. They and a conjoint Professor in the National Institute of were involved in the Wear It With Pride campaign Complementary Medicine at University of in 2010 celebrating the end of almost all Western Sydney.
    [Show full text]
  • SAM April 2016
    SYDNEY ALUMNI MAGAZINE ISSUE 03 — SEMESTER ONE 2016 WHERE START-UPS RADICAL WAYS TO SYDNEY STUDENTS WITH DEMENTIA’S GET THE BEST START BEAT EXTREMISM OLYMPIC DREAMS UNEXPECTED VILLAIN SYDNEY ALUMNI MAGAZINE ISSUE 03 – SEMESTER ONE 2016 The future starts here CONTENTS INCUBATE gives a University students Behind the scenes flying start to start-ups 15 shoot for Olympic gold 18 of a famous garden 44 Updates, awards and anniversaries Newsbites 3 On my desk – Craig Barker Perspectives 6 Small wonders – Nanoscience Innovation 8 On my mind – Emily Scanlan Influence 22 My favourite – Karn Ghosh Perspectives 24 At the heart of dementia – Professor Jonathan Stone Research 26 Everyone’s favourite economist – Justin Wolfers Influence 30 Keep calm and get connected – Daniel Tasso and Hussain Nadim Influence 34 Books that changed my mind Perspectives 38 Streets of green – Romilly Madew Influence 40 Classnotes Community 48 Managing Editor: Kate May Produced by Cover: Professor David Reilly, Inside back cover: Abercrombie Publishing Editor: George Dodd Marketing and Communications Experimental Physicist, Building, Codrington Street, The University of Sydney, The University of Sydney Australian Institute of 2016. Photo: Rhys Holland Level 7, JFR Building, NSW, 2006 Printing managed Nanoscale Science and Technology 02 9036 9222 by Publish Partners Photo: Matthew Vasilescu Distributed to more than 170,000 sam @sydney.edu.au Inside cover: 21 Codrington members of our community. Street, Darlington, circa 1960. 16/5425 ISSN 1834-3929 Photo: The University of Sydney ©2016 The University of Sydney Archives. Ref G74_4_7_F4 01 Leadership for good starts here. For 165 years our students have forged a vision at the University of Sydney and gone on to change lives for the better.
    [Show full text]
  • Australian Television by Keith G
    Australian Television by Keith G. Howes Encyclopedia Copyright © 2015, glbtq, Inc. Entry Copyright © 2002, glbtq, Inc. Reprinted from http://www.glbtq.com Despite some important breakthroughs in the depiction of gay men and lesbians in the past, Australian television today lacks any regular and open discussion of queer issues and lives. Australian television launched the careers of Nicole Kidman, Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Paul Hogan, and Skippy the Kangaroo. One of its five networks led the world in producing a type of sexy, outrageous serial drama that spawned a cycle of soap opera that has beguiled audiences in Australia and in many other parts of the world for over thirty years. Certainly cult television would be the poorer without dramas like Sons and Daughters (with the infamous Pat the Rat), Prisoner/Prisoner--Cell Block H (featuring the dyke-you- love-to-hate), and Return to Eden (heroine escapes jaws of crocodile--just--and takes on new body, face, identity). The combination of geographical isolation, an unpredictable climate, and hatred of pretension and authoritarianism has found its way into Australia's television programming. This was the country that produced the world's first positive gay character (Number 96, 1972-77). And the world's first bisexuals, male and female (Number 96, The Box). And the world's first gay man to parent a young boy far more lovingly and effectively than the boy's own biological parents (Players to the Gallery, 1980). Despite its small population (under 20 million), Australia has been able to maintain five television networks, three entirely commercial, one partly so, and the fifth--approximating to Britain's British Broadcasting Corporation--valiantly surviving on government subsidy alone.
    [Show full text]
  • Inside Update
    UpdateDecember 2018 Vol 26, No. 3 Thrice Yearly Newsletter We Say Hands off Our ABC Full reports on both Melbourne and Sydney rallies on page 4 and 5. Inside Update Christaan Cartledge, ABC Friends 10 The ABC needs grown-ups in charge 16 From the Editor 2 Walter Bass - Founder of the Friends of the ABC 11 Shenanigans at Ultimo’s Level 14 18 Melbourne Town Hall Rally 4 Dr Tanja Meyerhofer’s address to How ‘TRUMPISM’ is affecting Sydney Rally to Save the ABC 5 NSW Friends State Conference 12 the ABC 19 Kerry O’Brien’s Address 6 ABC Loathed in the Asia Pacific Labor will restore ABC shortwave Launch of ABC Alumni 7 - by the Morrison Government 14 radio to NT 20 ABC Friends rejects Prime Minister’s From the National President 8 State News 21 plans to commercialise Pacific The Wentworth By-election 9 broadcasting 15 NSW Branch News 27 Update From the Editor Publication Information (and National Vice-President) Update is published three times a year by ABC Friends National Inc. GPO Box 4065 Melbourne Vic 3001 Rallies, Protests and Activism booth. Friends NSW President, Prof Ed Print Post approved: PP245059/00002. by ABC Friends. Davis, a resident of Wentworth, ably led the Friends campaign, and lessons Extracts from newspapers and other The people of Australia have sent a learned in Wentworth will be useful as we publications appearing in Update do very strong and clear message to the not necessarily reflect the views of the plan our Marginal Seats Campaign in the Morrison Coalition Government in members of ABC Friends.
    [Show full text]
  • Australia's Hung Parliament and Elections
    INSIGHTi Australia’s Hung Parliament and Elections name redacted Specialist in Asian Affairs Updated October 22, 2018 Introduction A surprise defeat in an October 20 parliamentary by-election in the Australian electorate of Wentworth left the conservative Liberal Party-led government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison without a majority in parliament. Independent politician Kerryn Phelps’ victory in the Wentworth district ended extended conservative control of the seat, which was long held by former Liberal Party Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. One interpretation of the swing in voter sentiment away from the Liberal candidate is that voters sought to punish the party for ousting Turnbull as Prime Minister and Party Leader in August 2018. The next national parliamentary election is now expected in May 2019. Hung Parliament The current hung parliament consists of 75 members of the Liberal-National Coalition, 69 Labor Party members, and 6 crossbenchers. If any one of the crossbench MPs align themselves with the Liberal- National Coalition, the government would once again have a majority in parliament. Conversely, if all of the independents align themselves with the Labor Party, the Morrison government would fall and elections would be called. That said, the recently elected Phelps reportedly believes governments should serve their full terms except under exceptional circumstances and that responsible crossbenchers should limit the chaos resulting from a hung parliament. A mid-October 2018 poll indicates that the Coalition (47%) trails Labor (53%) in a two-party-preferred vote. The government’s coalition in the 76-member Australian Senate includes 25 Liberal Party, 5 National Party, and 1 Country Liberal Party members.
    [Show full text]