The Nationals WA have welcomed the announcement by Premier Roger Cook to establish a Special Inquiry into the planning and delivery of the 2025 State Election, following weeks of sustained pressure from Nationals Leader Shane Love MLA.
Mr Love said he was pleased with the appointment of Malcolm McCusker QC to lead the Inquiry as well as the establishment of a bipartisan reference committee which will include a representative of The National Party.
“Given the disastrous handling of the WA election, The Nationals are deeply concerned about the integrity of our State’s democratic processes.”
“This independent inquiry is a crucial step toward restoring public confidence in our elections. Ballot shortages, postal delays, missing mobile polling stations, and widespread voter frustration have all contributed to a serious erosion of trust in the process here in Western Australia.”
Mr Love said it was vital the Inquiry also examine why the management of the State’s democratic process was outsourced to a foreign-owned, private multinational company.
The Nationals WA requested the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference to be expanded to include the tender process run by the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC).
“We need to get to the bottom of what went wrong and find out exactly why our election was outsourced to a company that’s not only foreign owned but was handed an $86 million contract.”
“This contract was worth more than the WA Electoral Commissions annual budget.” Mr Love said.
“Were there truly sound technical, commercial, or operational reasons for locking WA into a long-term contract with a foreign-owned company, or was this simply a case of poor governance and oversight?”
Mr Love reaffirmed The Nationals’ commitment to a constructive, bipartisan approach.
“The Nationals WA stand ready and willing to be part of this process and deliver findings that will ensure the debacle we saw at polling booths never happens again.”
