Micro parties' bid a macro failure

  ATTEMPTS by micro parties to game the Senate have collapsed amid accusations of skulduggery and threats of litigation.

ATTEMPTS by micro parties to game the Senate have collapsed amid accusations of skulduggery and threats of litigation.

Parties had until midday Saturday to lodge group voting tickets, the lists of where they want preferences to flow for above-the-line votes where electors chose to place a single mark for one party rather than filling out the entire ballot paper.

The Australian Electoral Commission confirmed yesterday that five parties from Victoria, the centre of the efforts to see multiple minor parties use their preferences to get one of their number elected, failed to lodge tickets by the deadline.

The parties were the Liberal Democratic Party, the Outdoor Recreation Party (Stop the Greens), the Smokers Rights Party, the Republican Party of Australia and One Nation.

The Outdoor Recreation Party failed to lodge its ticket for South Australia and the Republican Party failed to lodge a ticket in Tasmania.

One source close to the complex negotiations told The Australian matters were thrown into chaos as it became clear Labor would do a deal with the Greens.

There has been talk among some parties of litigation and bids to seek injunctions that would allow previously lodged group tickets to be replaced, and accusations of reneging on deals.