See also : antifa notes (june 9, 2016) : australian far right + #ausvotes (June 9, 2016) | antifa notes (june 23, 2016) : nazis, patriots, islamophobes, bigots, elections … (June 23, 2016) | VOTE 1 FORTITUDE! #ausvotes (July 1, 2016).
In brief:
Good results for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation; poor results for everybody else, especially the Australian Liberty Alliance (ALA). Hanson’s victory — she’ll be joined in the Senate by Malcolm Roberts (QLD), Brian Burston (NSW) and (probably) Rodney Culleton (WA) — has caused a good deal of weeping and gnashing of teeth and much commentary. Margo Kingston reckons the nice lady and her nice followers oughta be treated to a nice chat; David Wroe writes:
What has driven this success? It is what Griffith University political lecturer Paul Williams called “a perfect storm” for Ms Hanson: dissatisfaction with major parties, the end of the mining boom hitting regional areas such as Gladstone, a lacklustre federal election campaign. Other commentators have added that the removal of Tony Abbott as prime minister has driven conservative voters away from the Coalition.
Otherwise, “Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane fears that Pauline Hanson could create a new wave of racially fuelled hatred and division”. Other useful writings include : Brown proxies for economic anxiety, Ketan Joshi, July 9, 2016 | Racism: moving beyond tribalism, Sushi Das, SBS, July 7, 2016 | Hanson supporters must accept world has changed, Fatima Measham, Eureka Street, July 7, 2016 | OPINION: Should we “ignore” or be “nice” to Pauline Hanson? Neither., Serkan Ozturk, PR4THEPEOPLE, July 5, 2016.
The ONP Senate vote totals 593,013 votes or 4.29% — an increase of 3.76% on 2013’s effort. The vote breaks down as follows:
QLD : 250,126 / 9.19% / +8.64% [42% of total]
NSW : 184,012 / 4.10% / +2.88% [31% of total]
WA : 55,026 / 4.03% / +4.03% [9.3% of total]
SA : 31,621 / 2.98% / +2.69% [5.3% of total]
TAS : 8,700 / 2.57% / +2.57% [1.5% of total]
VIC : 63,528 / 1.81% / +1.80 [10.7% of total]
The Australian Liberty Alliance scored a total of 102,982 Senate votes (0.74%): 29,795 (0.66%) in NSW; 29,392 (1.08%) in QLD; 23,080 (0.66%) in VIC; 15,168 (1.08%) in WA; 4,435 (0.42%) in SA and 1,112 (0.33%) in TAS.
The following seats are where the various parties — AFP, ALA, CEC, ONP, RUAP — contested for the bigot vote:
NSW
In Lindsay, leader of the Australia First Party (AFP), Jim Saleam, placed last of eleven (11) candidates, scoring 1,068 votes (1.20% — a gain of 0.50% from when Mick Saunders had a crack in 2013). Saleam was beaten by Stephen Roddick (Australian Liberty Alliance: ALA), who got 2,110 votes (2.36%) and ex-Tory Marcus Cornish (2,128 votes/2.38%). In Paterson, Peter Davis (Citizens Electoral Council) received just 533 votes (0.53%; a decline of 0.12% since 2013), while Brian Clare (Rise Up Australia Party: RUAP) got a few more (1,007 votes/1.01%, a gain of 0.45% on 2013’s effort). Graham Burston (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation: ONP) smashed them both, Burston getting 13,0563 votes (13.05%; a massive 11.62% increase on 2013), placing third behind the Liberal and Labor candidates. See also : Meet Brian Burston: One Nation’s power behind the throne, Damien Murphy, The Sydney Morning Herald, August 7, 2016.
NT
In Lingiari, Peter Flynn (CEC) — 261 votes (0.61% –a decrease of 2.95%) — lost badly to Regina McCarthy (RUAP) — 1,498 votes (3.49%/+1.50%). In Solomon, John Kearney (AFP) got 798 votes (1.46%/+1.46%), Brigid McCullough (CEC) got 183 (0.34%/-0.07%) and Silvija Majetic (RUAP) got 985 (1.80%/+0.81%). The Marijuana (HEMP) Party candidate got 1,143 votes (2.09%/+2.09%).
VIC
Susan Jakobi (AFP) in Lalor gained 3,232 votes (3.03%/+3.03%) and placed fifth of five (5) candidates, while Marion Vale (RUAP) got a few more (4,685 votes/4.39%/+2.59%). In Mallee, Chris Lahy (CEC) came 5th of five (5) candidates, receiving 1,715 votes (1.96%/+1.68%) while Tim Middleton (RUAP) got 4,536 votes (5.19%/+4.29%) for their troubles. In Murray, Jeff Davy (CEC) got the grand sum of 227 votes (0.26%/-0.10%) while Yasmin Gunasekera (RUAP) got 1,195 votes (1.36%/+0.73%), while former AFP president Diane Teasdale (Independent) won 1,037 (1.18%/+1.18%).
QLD
In Fisher, John Spellman (ALA) did OK, coming fourth, just narrowly avoiding the 4% threshold (2,952 votes/3.52%/+3.52%), and beating Tracey Bell-Henselin (RUAP) with 2,210 votes (2.64%/+2.25%). (Mike Jessop — a candidate of the unregistered Whig party — got 2,906 votes or 3.47% (+3.47%).) In Hinkler, Damian Huxham (ONP) did very well, placing third with 16,987 votes (19.16%/+19.16%), easily beating Rob Windred (ALA) who came second last (1,670 votes/1.88%/+1.88%). In Leichhardt, John Kelly (RUAP) got 1,439 votes (1.62%/+1.06%), placing 8th of 9 candidates; Peter Rogers (ONP) easily out-polled Kelly, getting 6,775 votes (7.63%/+7.63%) and coming fourth. In Longman, Michelle Pedersen (ONP) done good, placing third (8,293 votes/9.42%/+9.42%) and easily beating the ALA’s Caleb Wells (830 votes/0.94%/-0.13%; Wells ran as an Independent in 2013). Finally, in Maranoa, Lynette Keehn (ONP) also done good, coming third and getting 16,047 votes (17.82%/+17.82%), while Sherrilyn Church (RUAP) had to be content with God granting her just 841 votes (0.93%/-0.03%).
* In addition to Saleam in Lindsay, Kearney in Solomon and Jakobi in Lalor, the Australia First Party also ran in McMahon, with Victor Waterson gaining 1,797 votes or 2.09%, placing 5th of 6 candidates. The party also ran two candidates, former members of One Nation WA, for the Senate in WA. Lyn Vickery and Brian McRae got 3,005 votes (0.22%).
* Kim Vuga failed to register her party ‘Love Australia or Leave’ but still managed to run for the Senate in QLD as an independent. She accrued the grand sum of 172 (0.01%) votes for her troubles.
[… to be continued …]
