How-to-vote cards 'bogus', says Senator
Hundreds of voters in Kalgoorlie-Boulder could have been influenced by "bogus" how-to-vote cards in Saturday's Federal Election, high-ranking Liberals say.
The seat of O'Connor remained unclaimed yesterday with Liberals candidate Rick Wilson (51.23 per cent) holding a narrow lead over Nationals rival Chub Witham (48.77) in the two party preferred vote, with a result expected later this week.
But a significant talking point was the Australian Electoral Commission's investigation into the "Vote Labor and put Liberals last" cards, which claim to be authorised by Kalgoorlie businessman Paul Browning. A former Labor party member and Nationals supporter, Mr Browning could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Mr Witham's Goldfields campaign manager John Bowler declined to comment, while Mr Witham could not be reached.
Labor's authorised how-to-vote cards preferenced the Liberals ahead of the Nationals.
Liberal Senator Chris Back claimed he witnessed a Nationals representative handing out the "bogus" cards at the Goldfields Arts Centre on Saturday morning.
He alerted the Liberals' hierarchy in Perth which prompted AEC officials to confiscate the cards and launch the investigation. "There is an electoral process and it is exceedingly disappointing when we all stick to the guidelines and see this kind of thing going on," Senator Back said. "I've not seen anything as blatant as that."
Meanwhile, mining and business leaders yesterday hailed Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott's election win as a key towards restoring confidence.
"I think the most important thing is we will see confidence return to the business world and we have been without that for a long time, at least the last 12 months," Kalgoorlie-Boulder Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Hugh Gallagher said.
Mr Gallagher predicted more short-term pain for the resources sector until "various promises", including the removal of the mining and carbon taxes, are delivered by the Liberals.
"The new Prime Minister said it best when he said, 'we're open for business', and from a business point of view that's very reassuring," he said.
"The impression I've got from this government is they are trying to build stability, they don't want volatility, which is something employers have been looking for.
"If they can deliver that it will make a hell of a difference to the Goldfields economy."
Association of Mining and Exploration Companies chief executive Simon Bennison is hopeful foreign investment will flow back to the resources sector, with Mr Abbott's pledge to abolish the Minerals Resource Rent Tax within 100 days of taking office.
"I think there will be an immediate reaction by the investment community with confidence being restored to the market with the rescinding of two major taxes," Mr Bennison said.
"We would like to see that flow on with investors becoming less risk adverse and be willing to start investing in companies in the exploration sector in particular, but also small producers who are looking at refinancing their operations and trying to get more capital to develop their mines further."
