Political Parties Face Tough New Rules In Queensland

The Queensland Labor Premier, Peter Beattie, has announced new regulations and procedures that will apply to the preselection methods of all political parties in Queensland from next month.

The measures come in the wake of the 'electoral rorts' affair which ensnared the Beattie government in 2000. At that time the Deputy Premier was forced to resign, as was a prominent backbencher. A Labor Party member was jailed for her involvement in fradulent electoral enrolment.

Branch stacking has been a problem for all political parties in recent times. This is the process of 'recruiting' new members to a party with the aim of securing their votes in preselection contests.

In the ALP, 'ethnic branch stacking' has been endemic in Victoria and NSW, whilst the Liberal Party has experienced a similar problem in the Queensland electorate of Ryan. In recent years, an ALP member in South Australia took his party to court over a pre-selection battle which involved a mass increase in the party's membership on one day.

Last weekend, the Federal Opposition Leader, Simon Crean, proposed a number of reforms to the ALP's procedures for combatting the problem of branch stacking.

The Queensland rules propose that the Electoral Commission of Queensland will oversee all preselection ballots in political parties.

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This is the text of the announcement of preselection rules in Queensland by the Premier, Peter Beattie:

Strict new rules for preselection ballots are set to apply to all political parties in Queensland from next month, Premier Peter Beattie said today.

Mr Beattie said Cabinet would tomorrow consider a regulation that will bring model preselection rules into force on June 6.

"From June 6 onwards, the voting public can have renewed faith in Queensland's party political system.

"The model preselection rules are part of the Government's sweeping electoral reforms, which raise the standards of accountability for political parties and candidates.

"The model procedures will ensure more open, transparent and accountable preselection processes.

"They will apply to preselection ballots for candidates for Queensland Parliament, and for local government elections.

"The Electoral Commission of Queensland will oversee all preselection ballots.

"The Electoral Commission will have powers to audit the preselection ballots of political parties anywhere, anytime - with the ability to conduct random audits of preselection documents held by any political party," Mr Beattie said.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Rod Welford - who is responsible for the electoral reform laws recently passed by State Parliament - said political party constitutions would need to be in line with the preselection rules.

"Parties will face the penalty of deregistration if their constitutions do not comply," Mr Welford said.

"Parties which are currently registered will have up to six months to amend their constitutions to comply with these new preselection requirements."

The new model procedures:

• Require the appointment of a returning officer to conduct the ballot;

• Ensure transparency and fairness in the calling for, and acceptance of candidate nominations, and giving candidates notice of how and when the ballot will be held;

• Prescribe a method for preparation of the roll of eligible preselection voters;

• Require the roll to be available for inspection free of charge by candidates and party members for the period starting the day after the close of nominations, and ending 30 days after the close of polls;

• Require voting to be by secret ballot and enshrine the right of voters to only one vote;

• Set out appropriate procedures for postal voting to ensure that proper measures are in place for verification of identity and preserving the secrecy of the ballot;

• Protect the right of voters to assistance if they cannot vote without help provided the person assisting does not attempt to improperly influence the voter;

• Require the use of appropriate ballot boxes which are sealed and kept in a secure location;

• Prohibit counting of votes until the ballot closes and set out fair and equitable procedures for the counting of votes;

• Protect the right of candidates to have scrutineers present at the issue, scrutiny and counting of votes;

• Prescribe a method for deciding the result of a ballot, if a party's constitution is silent on the issue;

• Require the returning officer to certify the results of the ballot and prepare a report on its conduct for the party, including a reconciliation of the ballot papers to ensure all ballot papers printed are accounted for;

• Require key documentation used in the ballot - including all nominations received (whether withdrawn or not accepted), a copy of the membership roll as at the time for close of rolls, the preselection roll, all ballot papers and other voting material - to be retained for the life of the Parliament or local government for which the ballot was held.