Push for inquiry into circumstances around the 2021 Tasmanian state election
Matt Maloney | Examiner | June 24, 2021
The Legislative Council is set to debate a motion for an inquiry to be held on the recent state election to namely examine the rationale for an early election and the impact of having lower house and upper house elections run concurrently.
The motion from Nelson independent MLC Meg Webb will call for a joint select committee to look into the pre-selection and resignation of Adam Brooks on the day the polls were declared in Braddon.
The committee if established will look at any issues Windermere and Derwent voters may have had in ballot boxes for the Legislative Council elections only being placed within the borders of those electorates.
Ms Webb said inquiry will give citizens and experts a chance to submit evidence and suggest improvements
“We are now seeing a pattern of Tasmanian voters losing confidence in the integrity of our elections and their politicians,” she said.
“We must put an end to that pattern.
“It is vital public confidence in the conduct of elections is maintained.”
Ms Webb said she aimed to have the motion debated in the Legislative Council next Tuesday.
Political analyst Richard Herr said there should be inquiries held after each state election as a matter of course as they were at a Commonwealth level.
“As we’ve seen, almost every election has been controversial one way or another,” he said.
Professor Herr said he hoped the inquiry if held would discourage any repeat of concurrent elections.
He said it would be in the Premier’s interests to have an inquiry legitimise his decision to call an early election.
“I sincerely hope the government would support a joint house committee because it is something that will assist in taking some of the heat out of partisanship in elections,” Professor Herr said.
“It should be a routine review so we don’t look at it as having any special agenda.”
Labor leader David O’Byrne said the motion would be considered by the Labor caucus, but indicated the party was not against it at this stage.
Read Meg’s Media Release and Motion calling for a JSC