THE WA Electoral Commission has confirmed it’s sought to have Fremantle’s South Ward election results overturned.
As first flagged in the Herald (“Election roundup”, Herald, October 28, 2017) unsuccessful candidate Marija Vujcic has challenged the validity of the result after Ben Moodie slipped onto the ballot without being on the electoral role.
“WAEC has lodged an invalidity complaint with the Magistrates Court of Western Australia seeking a declaration from a magistrate sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns that the local government election for the City of Fremantle for councillor of the South Ward is invalid and that the fresh election for councillor of the South Ward be held on a date fixed by the court,” the commission said in a statement this week.
It reiterated that returning officer Jeff Clark made an error in accepting Mr Moodie’s nomination.
Councillor Andrew Sullivan, who won the contested poll with 655 from Liam Carter (598) and Ms Vujcic (517), took to the South Fremantle Precinct’s Facebook page to blast the commission for a “massive and inexcusable bureaucratic blunder”.
He says to run again will put him back around $15,000, with no guarantees.
The WAEC says it’s the only challenge to the results it’s received in Fremantle.
by STEVE GRANT
Seems rather dodgy that such a simple issue was blundered by the electoral commissions staff
Perhaps some are to close to certain councils
Maybe time for a revolving system of electoral
Officers to stifle the the calls of dodgy dealings?
Yet another financial hit for poor old freo rate payers