So… DLP to share balance of power, huh?

ARMAGEDDON!

The adoption of proportional Prepresenetatio0n ensures continuity and renewal of talent. One of the positive attributes of the Bracks Government is their ability and willingness to renew their talent base. This was evident yesterday when the Premier announced his new cabinet and we saw older ministers and members of cabinet replaced with new highly skilled fresh faces. If Labor can continue to regenerate itself it and provide good government it will be in power for many years to come.

Whilst representation has already been made to the Ministers Office and other members of Parliament we will also be petitioning the Parliament to legislate to avoid this abuse of process and to ensure that this information is readily available and that all relevant and detailed data pertaining to the results of election is made public and form’s part of the requirements of the declaration of the poll.

Robert Hulls is the Minister responsible for overseeing the actions of te electoral office and also the minister responsible for FOI legilstaion. Robert Hulls is already aware of the issues involved. We have also contacted members of the State Opposition seeking their support.

There is nothing in statute or law that prevents this information from being published and made available to the public. Legal precedence has already been set on this issue. And the ruling by Mr McNamara, Senior member of VCAT, was clear cut this information is a public document and accessible and available to members of the public.

There also is a legal obligation on behalf as the Electoral Office to ensure that this information is made available during the count to scrutineers. As we understand it Mr Tully has illegally refused scrutineers access to copies of this information and request made to obtain copies of the transcribed preference data denied.

We have already lined up a members of Parliament (Both Liberal and Labor) who are willing to table our petition. We will be petitioning both houses of Parliament and seeking immediate legislative review in time for the 2008 Municipal elections to avoid a rate of this abuse of process and to ensure that future elections remain open and transparent.

Our petition will be tabled in the Autumn session of Parliament in 2007.

This petitioning of the Parliament will also be in parallel with an FOI application and if necessary further application to VCAT.

A petition to the parliament only needs one signature but we hope to collect more and from all sides of the political spectrum

We aim to put an end, once and for all, to the beuacratic obstructionist and abuse of process adopted by the Chief Electoral Commissioner.

More information on my blog. (click on my name above).

Anthony van der Craats
Melbcity (AT) gmail (dot) com

Victorian Legislative Council Election

The following results of Saturday’s count produced interesting reading as the results unfolded. At one stage in the counting process it looked as though the Greens were going to lose all seats but as the count progressed the Greens, aided by People Power and Democrat feeders, crept across the line in four seats. But it is not over yet, the battle for the last position was close and will be dependent on preferences, postal and absentee votes.

The election process was marred by the Chief Commissioner, Mr Tully, who refused to provide information on the number of postal ballot papers that had been issued for each district. This information is normally available and provides an indication of what is outstanding and whether or not it will effect the results of the election. without this information there is no way knowing if that all illusive bundle of 50 votes will appear. Mr Tully in spite numerous requests refused to make this important information available. WHY? This information is normally made available prior to the election postal vote applications closed on Thursday night. As a result of Mr Tully’s refusal he left scrutineers of Monday nights count in the dark not knowing vital information as to whether or not Bronwyn Pike was elected or not. Bronwyn according to the VEC 2CP count was on a 1.5% margin similar to the 2002 election result but without knowing the number of postal votes that has been issued and the number of absentee votes yet to some in She was left wanting. The VEC’s conduct of the count of the election was certainly left wanting and raises question why do we need to 2 electoral commission the VEC and the AEC. The VEC’s web site service was also inadequate with detailed information related to polling pace results not readily made available.

Further there were additional concerns that the Chief Commissioner and VEC staff had undertaken a, possibly illegal, preliminary early count of the results of the election recorded at electronic polling booths. If this is true then there are a number of questions outstanding in regards to the VEC’s rights to undertake a preliminary count of the election results prior to the close of the poll on Saturday night in the absence of scrutineers. If not resolved soon this issue will be subject to review by the Victorian Civil Appeals Tribunal and with the Chief Commissioner and staff called on to give evidence as to the conduct of the election with a report being made to the State Parliament.

Mr Tully has denied and refuted the advice provided by Glenda Fraser, Manager of Election Services, who in an email forward to the the Media on Friday indicated that the Commission had in fact undertaken a count and analysis of first preference and 2CP results of votes recorded on the VEC electronic voting system. Quote “After analysing the number of voting centre results entered last night for 1st prefs (District and Region) and 2 CP we have realised that everyone could be waiting around all night for what would be dribs and drabs that we do not anticipate would make an impact on the result” If it turn out that this account did in fact occur and the count was illegal then Mr Tully should resign or be sacked. A decision to sack Mr Tully would need to be made by the Victorian State Parliament.

More graphs showing the preliminary distribution count

http://melbournecitycouncil.blogspot.com/2006/11/upper-tally-victorian-legislative.html

In think if we do not see an ALP win a third spot we will see either the DLP come up the middle or the NP win the fifth. The National Party pick up from the all parties and should top the Liberal surplus. The ALP prefernce the DLP before the Greens so much depends on the extent of their surplus. The DLP must be above either the ALP surplus and the Greens to win.