The party is over before it began for Australians Against Further Immigration _ at least in the ACT. The party did not got the requisite 100 members in the ACT to be registered in time for February’s election and the name will not appear on the ballot paper.
Yesterday was the last day it could submit an application in order to get its name on the ballot paper.
The anti-immigration party has polled around 8 per cent in some by-elections recently which in the Act context would have put it in the running for a seat. Now it will have to rely on its own advertising to associate its candidates with the name.
The only new party to lodge registration is the “”Smokers are Voters and Civil Rights” party, according to the Electoral Commission record.
There is a 14-day objection period after which it can be officially registered. A message left of the answering machine at the number of the registered officer of the party was not responded to yesterday.
Other parties registered in the ACT are: the Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party, Moore Independents, Australian Democrats, ACT Greens, National Party, Abolish Self-Government Coalition and the Call to Australia (Fred Nile) Group.
Abolish Self-Government MLA Dennis Stevenson has said he would not stand and there are no signs of National Party or Call to Australia candidates, so the ballot paper in the three electorates is likely to contain five party columns and a list of independents _ a far cry from the metre-long ballot paper of the first Assembly election.
A referendum to entrench the Hare-Clark system is also to be held. The system was approved by 65 per cent of voters at an advisory referendum last election. If approved the current voting and electoral system will only be able to be changed by another referendum or a two-thirds majority of the whole Assembly. At present it can be changed by a simple majority of the Assembly like any other law. Voters will have to write the word “”Yes” or “”No” in a box after a question asking whether they improve the entrenchment.