Media release
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has allegedly been accusing people with foreign names of voting twice at the federal election and threating them with legal action, according to Palmer United Party federal leader Clive Palmer.
The newly elected MP for the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax said he had received complaints from voters in Queensland and interstate who have been accused by the AEC of breaching electoral laws.
“The AEC has been behaving like the Mafia with its conduct over the 2013 federal election,” Mr Palmer said.
“In Western Australia they have been recounting votes until they get the result they want and they’ve lost ballot boxes.
“Now they are accusing people with foreign names of voting twice at the election and inviting them to confess.
“They have threatened these people with legal action and fines.
“The truth is these people have done nothing wrong and this is just another case of the AEC’s incompetence.”
Mr Palmer said reform was drastically needed to improve Australia’s voting system which allows people to vote without having to produce identification, while the AEC also relies on pencil and paper rather than computerised voting systems.
“The performance of the AEC during the 2013 federal election is of great concern,” he said.
“Australia’s voting systems have been shown to be archaic in the 21st century and open to manipulation.”
ENDS