Victorian election review reveals dozens of complaints
The Greens say bullying at last year’s election became so “intolerable” they hired security guards to protect aspiring MPs and volunteers. Now police could be tasked with patrolling the booths.
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Police could be tasked with patrolling polling booths at the next state election as political parties complain about the harassment of candidates, supporters and voters.
The Greens say bullying and intimidation — including by far-right extremists — became so “intolerable” at last year’s election the party hired security guards to protect aspiring MPs and volunteers.
The party now wants police and the Victorian Electoral Commission to receive a funding boost to bolster the number of officers and staff who can swiftly respond to complaints at voting centres.
The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal 45 complaints were made to the VEC during last year’s state election on the conduct of candidates — four times as many as the 2014 poll.
About half involved alleged intimidation or harassment by prospective MPs.
Labor is also pushing for a crackdown on poor behaviour on election day, having raised concerns about voters being blocked from entering polling booths and candidates being harassed and bullied.
The party’s Victorian branch wants clearer rules on the expected behaviour of candidates and volunteers, along with a review of penalties to ensure they are tough enough.
A parliamentary inquiry into the conduct of last year’s election has also been told:
THE early voting period should be halved to one week, according to the Liberal and National parties, after 36 per cent of voters cast their ballot before election day last year.
GROUP voting tickets — which enabled the election of 11 minor party MPs in the upper house — should be abolished, according to the Coalition and the Greens, and replaced with Senate-style preferential voting.
MORE funding is needed to help the VEC tackle misleading and unauthorised online political campaign material.
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The VEC’s submission to the inquiry revealed 58 complaints were made during the election about campaign workers, and that it had requested a “discreet police presence at voting centres on election day”.
Greens acting state director Rohan Leppert said the party’s lack of confidence in police to manage “violent and intimidatory persons in and around polling booths” had prompted it to hire security guards.