The High Court declared last year's senate election in Western Australia void on February 20.
Western Australians will head to the polls as early as March 29 to re-elect six senators, because after 1300 ballots went missing during the count, it was impossible to determine the last two senate spots from the election.
Coalition Senator Michael Ronaldson said: “The people of Western Australia ... will rightly be aggrieved that the actions of the Australian Electoral Commission will force them to vote again in a fresh election”, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on February 20.
This follows a narrative presented by mainstream media and politicians that voting is a chore that ordinary people should seek to avoid.
By contrast the Socialist Alliance has been enthusiastic about the prospects of a new election given the unpopularity of the Tony Abbott government.
Socialist Alliance candidate Alex Bainbridge told Green Left Weekly: “Numerous opinion polls have cast doubt on the Coalition's ability to retain the three senate positions they won at the September election.”
“The reason for this is that people have been able to see first-hand that the policies of the Abbott government represent a sharp escalation of the attacks on ordinary workers, the environment and social services compared to the similar attacks implemented by the previous Labor government.”
Mainstream media commentators are trying to present the new election as a challenge for Labor. But ABC election analyst Antony Green said: “For the Abbott government the Court's ruling is a blow ... A re-election could put one of the Liberals’ seats in doubt.”
Bainbridge said: “While it can't be denied that the democratic nature of our electoral system is virtually negated by the corruption of big money and the major influence of corporate media, any doubts about the electoral outcome should be determined by the people via a new election.”
A new election makes it likely that the Greens' Scott Ludlam and Labor's Louise Pratt — arguably the most progressive Labor Senator in WA — can retain their seats.
The loss of one of the three Liberal seats — even if it were won by the Palmer United Party — would make it harder for the Abbott government to get its reactionary agenda implemented.
The Socialist Alliance will be running an energetic campaign with candidates Bainbridge and Chris Jenkins.
“We don't have a lot of chance of winning but we are running seriously and genuinely asking people to support our campaign,” said Bainbridge.
“People in power — both Labor and Liberal and their corporate masters — have misused that power. Now we face the challenge of building a new society in which social and environmental problems can genuinely be solved.
“This means breaking the power of the big corporations and pushing for grassroots pressure for climate action, wealth redistribution, social justice and genuine democracy.
“It is not going to be an overnight victory but Socialist Alliance is the only party that is putting this message forward and anyone who cares about our future should consider giving us support.”
