McEwen electorate may face fresh poll
Posted
Voters in the marginal Victorian seat of McEwen could face a new poll to elect their federal representative.
Liberal Fran Bailey won the seat by 12 votes in a recount, after it was initially called for Labor's Rob Mitchell at last year's federal election.
The ALP has asked the Court of Disputed Returns to review more than 600 ballot papers that were not counted because of illegible handwriting.
Mr Mitchell says it is up to the court to decide whether a recount or a new vote is needed.
"Our petition is just based on the 642 votes that were sent to Melbourne that was given a different adjudication to the rest of them. We haven't applied for a re-election, that would be something that the court would determine but, as I said, it's not part of our petition," he said.
Meanwhile, a politics lecturer at Monash University, Nick Economou, says it is unlikely a court decision on the matter would force a re-election.
"It's more likely that there'll be a parcel of disputed ballots, there has always been a determination of these ballots at the divisional level, there's been a resolution of these disputed ballots at the state level and that the High Court or the Federal Court sitting as a court of disputed returns would be the ultimate authority and the Act makes it quite clear that the court's decision will be final," he said.
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