Anxious wait for WA Senate verdict
There is still no news on whether Western Australia will return to the polls, with a decision on the state’s Senate debacle still to be revealed.
High Court Justice Kenneth Hayne has reserved his decision since Monday, February 3, with a Court official confirming that the verdict should be handed down “soon.”
Political parties are nervously waiting hear if the High Court, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, will call a fresh election, refer a legal question to the full bench of the Court, or throw up its hands in despair and send the matter down to the Federal Court.
The Australian Electoral Commission has admitted that it had made a major blunder by losing 1,370 votes during the October recount. The votes are still yet to be found.
Political pundits such as Glenn Druery, the self-styled “ringmaster” of the micro party alliance, believe the AEC’s admission makes it more likely that a new election will be held, but the delay seems to be playing on the minds of all sides of Parliament.
“I’ve got mates in all the political parties and minor parties. My Labor mates were saying there’d be a new election for sure. My Liberal mates, [they’re saying] no there won’t be an election, at least we hope not. The Greens: [they’re saying] yeah, there will be a new election for sure. Wayne Dropulich isn’t certain,” Druery told The New Daily.
Druery was “of the firm view” that a new election in Western Australia would deliver a Senate seat to one of the micro-parties — but he admitted the wait was making his clients “anxious”.
The micro parties are already jostling for prime position in the alliance as they await the result.
“Certainly, some of the groups are putting deals together. I am aware of that,” said Druery.
“When we were initially made aware that this was going to go to the Court of Disputed Returns, my phone went crazy with texts, emails and what-not. It did die down a lot over Christmas. Well, now it’s gone double crazy. It’s going berserk.”
The New Daily will bring readers the result as soon it is released.