WA Electoral Commissioner Robert Kennedy Resigns Following State Election Issues
Perth, WAโ – WA Nationals Leader Shane Love has responded to the resignation of Electoral Commissioner Robert Kennedy months after a state election marred โbyโฃ meaningfulโ problems, โคstating โขthe governmentโข needs to โขacknowledge itsโฃ role inโค funding issues that contributed to โคthe difficulties. While stopping short โof labeling Kennedy a scapegoat, Loveโ emphasized โคthe โgovernment’sโค responsibility.
“The refusal byโฃ the treasurerโ to โprovide the money requested by the โฃElectoral Commission โsatโ at the base of its decision to cut staff and led to many of the โฃdisastrous outcomes,” Love said. โค”Soโฃ I think that the government needs to except thatโ that was a mistake.”
Love stressed โthe importance of ensuringโค the Electoral Commissionโข is adequately โfunded moving forward. “That’s why its so criticallyโฃ important that,moving forward,we don’t have an Electoral Commission where it feels that it’s constrained in budget terms,and will provide a cut-price election.”
He also โฃcalled for a broad search for aโฃ permanentโ replacement, noting the need for a specialistโข in the field.”And in my view, the government shouldโข be advertising the position widely because it is a specialistโ industry,” Love โคsaid. “I have confidence in the โacting commissioner, in the work โขthat his crew have been doing, but in terms ofโ recruitment we needโ to lookโข as โwidely asโข possible.”
Electoral Affairs Minister David Michael thanked Kennedy “for his โขservice toโค the community”โ and stated a new commissioner and deputy โcommissioner would be appointed “in due course” followingโฃ consultation with parliamentary parties.
[Image of WA Nationals Leader Shane Love, a middle-aged man in a dark suit standing with his arms folded in a paved area near some trees. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)]
