Aussie wrote on Apr 5
th, 2014 at 11:22pm:
True Colours wrote on Apr 5
th, 2014 at 10:19pm:
Aussie wrote on Apr 5
th, 2014 at 9:46pm:
Got a link?
I was looking at the early counting being shown on the ABC - the numbers are jumping around a bit though. That 2nd Labor seat is looking a bit shaky as is Palmer's.
Not any more.
WA Senate election results show swing away from major parties
Updated 1 hour 46 minutes ago
WA Senate election re-run scrutineers at Mt Lawley
Photo: Projected results show there is unlikely to be any change in the make-up of the Senate. (ABC News: Garrett Mundy)
Related Story: As it happened: WA Senate election results Related Story: Campaigns start for WA's April 5 senate election
Map: WA
The Greens and the Palmer United Party (PUP) have emerged as the big winners after Western Australia's Senate election re-run.
On projected results the Greens have picked up a 6.7 per cent swing, which would ensure Scott Ludlam retains his Senate seat.
PUP also looks to have picked up a seat with a popular vote of about 7 per cent.
The projected data from the ABC's election analyst Antony Green showed the Liberals and the ALP had falls of 5.6 and 5 per cent respectively.
"The overall balance between the two parties, it looks like it's going to be exactly the same as it was last September," he said.
The Liberals appear to have secured two seats with Labor reduced to one.
WA Senate election results
As counting continues in the election re-run, you can find all the numbers on the ABC's results page.
Mr Green said it appeared swings away from the two major parties had transferred to the Greens and PUP.
The outcome for the sixth seat remains unclear and the Australian Electoral Commission says it may be weeks before the final results are known.
The blame game has already begun to determine what caused the swing away from the two major parties, with a backlash against union involvement in the Labor Party and a protest vote against the Government appearing the key factors.
Greens Senator Ludlam lost his seat in the first count in September, but regained it on the second count when the lost votes were not included.
He said he was "tremendously proud" looking at the early results.
"Our campaign isn't funded by the coal industry or gas industry," he said.
We had a strong online campaign backing up the most motivated grassroots face-to-face campaign that I've ever seen.
Senator Scott Ludlam
"The only way to compete with the major party financing by big business or Clive Palmer buying seats, is people power.
"We had a strong online campaign backing up the most motivated grassroots face-to-face campaign that I've ever seen."
Former Labor senator Chris Evans said the Greens had run a good campaign.
"The Greens certainly won the campaign in the sense that they were able to promote an image through their candidate," he said.
"They were creative. And quite frankly both the major parties looked a bit dull in comparison.
"As I say there was nothing at stake. And people I think were prepared to shop around and look around at alternatives for the major parties because government wasn't at stake."
Union involvement in ALP's preselection process under scrutiny
As attention turned to what caused the swing away from the major parties, Mr Evans was critical of Labor's preselection process.
The decision to put the former union heavyweight Joe Bullock ahead of sitting Senator Louise Pratt on Labor's ticket was publicly criticised within the party at the time.
"In my view there's no question that the Labor Party has a serious problem with its preselection processes, particularly in Western Australia," Mr Evans said.
Joe Bullock waits for fellow Labor candidate Louise Pratt to vote below the line in the WA Senate election re-run.
Photo: Joe Bullock waits for fellow Labor candidate Louise Pratt to vote below the line in the WA Senate election. (ABC News: Jessica Strutt)
"We had a situation where two large unions were able to make a decision about the candidates.
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