History will repeat itself tomorrow as WA heads back to the polls
AFTER 210 days, one recount, 1370 lost ballots, an Australian Electoral Commission investigation, a Court of Disputed Returns ruling and two AEC resignations, Western Australia will finally get one more chance to vote for six Senate seats tomorrow.
And the result they deliver could make the numbers in Australia's Senate very interesting for Tony Abbott, whose performance as prime minister will be thoroughly polled six months into his tenure.
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While the federal government won't change following WA's fourth election in just over a year, the ability for the coalition to make change through policy will be affected.
And if the late campaign whispers come true, and the Liberals drop the third seat they won at the original poll and Labor gains one, then the horse trading in Canberra with the minor parties will reach Magic Millions proportions.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten, pictured at a Perth primary school with candidates Louise Pratt and Joe Bullock, indicated he was concerned about a bungle by the AEC, but was not going to panic.
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The last day on the hustings was dominated by how many feet Labor's number one candidate Joe Bullock could fit into his mouth at once.
Senator Scott Ludlam, pictured after the WA Senate recount by the WA Electoral Commission in Perth.
After revelations earlier in the week of a 1996 conviction for assault, it's been revealed he delivered a speech last year to a Christian group during which he admitted he didn't always vote Labor, and had called some of the ALP membership ``mad''.
That prompted an apology via email to Labor members, with the partner of Labor's number two candidate Louise Pratt urging the WA electorate to vote below the line.
The free kick for the Liberals was gleefully accepted by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
"When Labor's number one candidate says he doesn't vote Labor, why should anybody else,'' Ms Bishop said.
Ironically, Mr Bullock is almost certain to win a seat, despite his gaffes, and it was the Liberal's third candidate Linda Reynolds who was battling hardest.
"We are not considering not picking up that third seat. Linda Reynolds won that spot fair and square,'' Ms Bishop said.
With preference deals and a more favourable senate ticket position set to benefit Ms Pratt, the heavyweight battle between Clive Palmer and Greens Senator Scott Ludlam will be vital on Saturday and beyond.
After a week of carpet bombing the electorate with radio and TV ads, Mr Palmer appeared to self-destruct on the eve of the election with an angry interview with the ABC followed by a grumpy morning on radio.
Asked by 2UE's morning show about a sign writing business in New South Wales that claims it is still owed thousands of dollars by the Palmer United Party, the billionaire got shirty.
``Well that's just bulls--- That's not true. There's no action against us, there's no letter of demand. It's just Rupert Murdoch ... making up another story. I'll see you later, bye bye,'' he said, before hanging up.
Senate Candidate Joe Bullock Mr Bullock, pictured in Belmont this week, brushed aside a recently revealed assault conviction, saying ``that was a long time ago''.
Senator Ludlam, who has campaigned hard against a waning vote from the last election, said he was confident.
"There was a swing against us in WA, and I think we have taken care of that,'' he said.
And it was expected all parties would have to battle against a lower turnout from the election-weary WA population, with predictions of polling levels as low as 75 per cent.
After another blunder involving an unsecured ballot box, the AEC said there had been no more issues - so far.
A record number of 75 candidates will contest Saturday's election, up from 65 in September.
A full run-down of the controversies on WA election eve
The re-run of the WA Senate election will be a referendum on the first half year of Tony Abbott's reign, but will also prove the biggest test yet for the nation's electoral commission.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) admitted on Thursday that about 75 pre-poll votes at the RAAFA Estate retirement home in Merriwa, in Perth's outer suburbs, were put in an unsecured ballot box and then transferred to a secure box in breach of proper procedure.
Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer, the AEC's harshest critic, called for more heads to roll, after two key AEC staffers resigned over the last debacle, and even called for a royal commission.
The votes were declared invalid and the retirement home's elderly residents had to recast them on Friday.
One of the residents said she hadn't even put her vote in a box and it had instead been taken by ``the lady''.
Both sides of politics were troubled to hear of the latest controversy to dog the AEC, which was lashed by former police commissioner Mick Keelty after his investigation into the 1370 ballot papers that went missing during a recount last year.
The AEC's harshest critic, Clive Palmer, called for more heads to roll, after two key AEC staffers resigned over the last debacle, and even called for a royal commission.
Mr Keelty found fault with just about every aspect of the AEC's handling of the second count, but the commission said on February 28 that it had implemented key practical recommendations of his probe.
But two days before West Australians marched back to the polls for the fourth time in just over a year, those reassurances were a distant memory as news of yet another ballot box blunder emerged, leaving confidence in the AEC shattered.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who has not held back in his disdain for the AEC's ``ineptitude'', said Australians had a right to expect there would be no errors this time around.
AEC spokesman Phil Diak said every step would be taken to minimise the chance of mistakes, and refuted suggestions voter fatigue in WA would result in a low turnout, saying early voting had been encouraging.
Meanwhile, Labor's lead candidate Joe Bullock has increased his press conference appearances - particularly at schools - after earlier commentary that he'd not fronted the media enough, all while copping fresh flak for reportedly telling a Christian group in November that Labor needed unions so it didn't follow ``every weird lefty trend''.
He also reportedly called the ALP membership mad, said he'd rather be expelled from the party than vote for gay marriage, and revealed he had voted against Labor in 1975.
Voters on Saturday will elect six senators from 77 candidates with the coalition, Labor, the Australian Greens, Palmer United Party and myriad micro parties fighting for the upper house seats..
The Liberals pounced on Mr Bullock's reported comment that running mate Louise Pratt - who he shunted to second on Labor's ticket - was a ``poster child for the left'', saying it pointed to disunity and dysfunction in the party.
On Friday, Mr Bullock also brushed aside a recently revealed assault conviction, saying ``that was a long time ago''.
The Liberals have had their own controversies - at the state level, with former Treasurer Troy Buswell quitting Cabinet and facing criminal charges after a mental breakdown following late-night, post-wedding car crashes - but Mr Abbott remains supremely confident it won't dent the party's election chances.
And what about their stablemates, the Nationals? Candidate Shane Van Styn - affectionately referred to by Barnaby Joyce as ``Van the Man'' - has also appeared media-shy, proving less visible than his deputy leader.
Palmer United Party's Dio Wang has also been scarce in Perth, fronting regional media rather than facing the harsh glare of the metropolitan spotlight. He said it was more important to talk to voters than journalists.
But his leader has been all over the press, saying those who wanted to interview Mr Wang could get on a plane and see him on the hustings in Broome, Karratha or Kalgoorlie.
PUP was also criticised for bombarding the airwaves and blanketing WA's only daily newspaper in campaign advertisements, with the highest office in the land through to the Greens accusing Mr Palmer of trying to buy a seat in the Senate - although Greens Senator Scott Ludlam has also splashed a fair amount of cash on ads.
Mr Palmer says it's his own personal money and he can do with it as he pleases.
But Greens leader Christine Milne tied it back to Mr Wang's absence from mainstream media.
``It really makes no sense that he's spending a fortune on advertising but is gagging his own candidates from talking to the people,'' Senator Milne said.
``And that's because when they open their mouths, they say something different to what Clive wants to say.''
PUP was also lambasted by the Liberals for preferencing the HEMP party seventh out of 33. The HEMP party's lead candidate James Moylan has said he doesn't even want to be a politician.
Mr Palmer, as usual, shot back.
``The Liberals are preferencing high on the ticket of the Liberal Democrats, who don't believe in the legalisation of hemp, they believe in the legalisation of heroin and all drugs,'' he told AAP.
``They also believe in assisted suicide, abolishing the pension - which maybe Abbott does too - and abolishing social security.
``And they're getting the preference way before us in the Liberal ticket.''
