Independent MLA Michael Moore owes his seat to Labor preferences and Labor voters not expressing a preference, according to the final scrutiny sheets issued by the Electoral Commission at the weekend. And in the other two electorates, far more of the preferences of the excluded Moore Independent candidates went to Labor and the Greens than to the Liberals _ nearly 3 to 1, in fact.
The result adds to the argument put by the Chief Minister, Rosemary Follett, that Mr Moore should vote for a Labor Government and her as Chief Minister when the vote is taken in the Assembly on Thursday. It is likely that Mr Moore will not make his intention known until the vote as he is a strong believer in the forum of the Assembly. None the less people close to Mr Moore suggest he does not like the idea of supporting a Chief Minister and party who have been rebuffed by the electorate, and despite some policy differences will support and change. The scrutiny sheets reveal that preferences from David Lamont (who had a fair collection from other excluded Labor candidates) flowed to Mr Moore rather than the Liberals and put him over the line to get the seventh and last seat ahead of the Liberals’ Lucinda Spier. About 3200 of Mr Lamont’s live ballots were exhausted (voters did not express a preference beyond Labor); 700 went to Mr Moore and 300 went to the Liberals. If there had been a significant drift of Mr Lamont’s preferences (including the exhausted ones) it would have been a different story, with a fourth Liberal elected.
Under the Self-Government, the Speaker and Chief Minister are determined at the first Assembly sitting after the election. The state of the House is Liberals 7, Labor 6, Greens 2, Moore 1, Osborne 1. Paul Osborne has said he will vote for Kate Carnell, if he is joined by Mr Moore, Mrs Carnell will be Chief Minister. If Mr Moore votes with Labor and the Greens, Ms Follett will be Chief Minister. Discussions last week led to no firm positions by Mr Moore or the Greens and discussions are expected to continue this week. In the meantime, Ms Follett is caretaker Chief Minister in the normal Westminster pattern.