WA: WA voters go to the polls in cliffhanger election

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2001
WA: WA voters go to the polls in cliffhanger election

(EDS: Reissuing and changing headline)



By Selina Day

PERTH, Feb 10 AAP - In what is tipped to be the closest election in years, West Australians
went to the polls today amid allegations of a Liberal Party dirty tricks campaign involving
bogus One Nation how-to-vote cards.

As booths opened around the state, and the influential Newspoll put just a whisker
between the Coalition and Labor, Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley alleged fraudulent
voting cards were being issued by the Liberals.

With preferences set to decide the knife-edge election, Premier Richard Court has spent
three days urging minor party supporters to give the Liberals their second preferences.

Voting south of Perth today, Mr Beazley alleged the Liberal Party was behind bogus
One Nation how-to-vote cards in at least four seats in what he described as a desperate
bid for the Coalition to retain power in WA.

The cards purported to be One Nation cards and directed preferences to the Liberals.

Mr Beazley said he had never seen a dirtier electoral trick, and said the WA Labor
Party would be considering legal action over the incident.

"Not content with appealing to minor party supporters to vote for them second, the
Liberals have resorted to what is effectively a fraudulent One Nation how-to-vote card
in the ultimate dirty trick," Mr Beazley told AAP.

"If we were to do this the Liberals would scream the roof down."

"There's no question that under the federal Electoral Act it is (illegal), but is it
misrepresentation under the state act? That's what we have to find out," Mr Beazley told
AAP.

WA Liberal Party state director Peter Wells was not immediately answering phone calls.

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KEYWORD: POLLWA NIGHTLEAD (REISSUING)

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