Qld: LNP takes legal action over election

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2009
Qld: LNP takes legal action over election

Eds: updates with premier's quotes

BRISBANE, April 15 AAP - The Liberal National Party (LNP) has launched legal action
to overturn the election result in the Brisbane seat of Chatsworth, claiming vote fraud.

The application on behalf of failed LNP candidate Andrea Caltabiano was filed in the
Court of Disputed Returns on Tuesday.

Labor's Steve Kilburn, who won the seat by 74 votes, has a week to respond to the application.

The LNP claims that some people voted more than once and used the names of people who
were not entitled to vote.

The party also claims in court documents that some voters who were entitled to vote
were denied a ballot, and that the local returning officer undertook a count "in circumstances
where the integrity of the count could not be guaranteed".

Vote counting in Chatsworth after the March 21 election was shifted from a building
in the electorate to the electoral commission's headquarters, a move the commission said
was for "additional security".

The LNP had claimed during counting that the number of absentee votes was skewed towards
Labor and that it was possible that the names of dead people could have been used by people
to vote more than once.

Premier Anna Bligh said she understood the electoral commission would defend the action.

Ms Bligh said the ALP had not been involved in any irregularities.

"There are allegations being made that may relate to other citizens, but certainly
the Labor Party rejects any allegations that they were involved in any irregularities,"

she said.

The court has been asked to declare Mr Kilburn not elected and can then either declare
Ms Caltabiano or another candidate the winner or order a by-election.

Electoral Commissioner David Kerslake declined to comment as the matter was before the court.

The case has been set down for a mention in the Supreme Court on May 11.

AAP jmm/pjo/sn/bwl

KEYWORD: CHATSWORTH UPDATE

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