Fixed term, public funded elections planned

29/10/03
The next Western Australian election will be held on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - and then the third Saturday in February every four years - under new electoral legislation introduced to State Parliament today.
Attorney General Jim McGinty said having fixed dates for elections would take the uncertainty out of future polls and deter early elections being called for political gain.
The legislation also implements public funding for election candidates to provide greater equality and also ensure candidates were not so reliant on large donors or interest groups, which may seek to buy political favours and influence.
"Public funding of candidates will particularly lessen the financial burden on small parties and independents, who at present can be hindered from participating in the election process," Mr McGinty said.
"It will also provide a level of equality by ensuring candidates are not simply elected because they have sums of money to spend on campaigning and advertising."
Public funding of political parties and candidates already occurs for federal elections and State and Territory elections in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT.
Under the change, candidates or registered political parties which gained four per cent of formal first preference votes would be reimbursed $1.28 for each valid first preference vote received. Proof of expenditure on the election campaign would be required.
In another reform, the legislation will ensure MPs from both Houses of Parliament in future take office at approximately the same time after the results are declared.
At present, Lower House MPs take office almost immediately while Upper House MPs must wait several months before taking their seat.
This leads to the odd situation where some politicians continue to hold office, vote and receive all the conditions of office for months after they have been defeated at an election, while newly elected MPs are left in limbo.
Mr McGinty said some of the other changes in the legislation include:

• substantially increased penalties for electoral bribery and undue influence, up from $400 to $12,000;
• new requirements for all election candidates to hold Australian citizenship and be enrolled voters;
• allowing ballot papers with marks on them to be counted as valid. At present any marks automatically make the vote informal even though it is common for electors to initial a correction they may make on a ballot paper; and
• allowing all electors the option of casting an early vote to encourage greater voter turnout at elections.