00:00After weeks of mounting pressure, the WA Electoral Commission will come under the microscope
00:08and all the major parties are on board.
00:10The special inquiry is appropriate, the special enquirer has a range of powers akin to a royal
00:15commissioner and so this will get to the bottom of the problem.
00:20The commission came under fire after reports emerged of long voter lines, ballot paper
00:25shortages and poor management of polling booths on election day as well as vote counting
00:30delays, prompting questions over the WAEC's outsourcing of labour hire company Persol
00:36Kelly to provide its temporary election workforce.
00:40Now the government is demanding answers, setting up an independent special inquiry.
00:45The specific part of the terms of reference is to look into what was the decision making
00:49process for outsourcing aspects of the state election.
00:52So all those issues regarding any contractor will be looked at by the special enquirer.
00:58Former WA Governor Malcolm McCusker heading the review which will examine the planning,
01:03management and resourcing of polling booths and ballot papers, the processing and counting
01:09of votes and the response on election day as problems emerged.
01:13In a statement, the WAEC said it welcomes the announcement of the independent inquiry
01:18and looks forward to working with the enquirer and admitted that on this occasion community
01:23expectations were not met.
01:26It also comes after Electoral Commissioner Robert Kennedy took unplanned leave last week.
01:31Independent candidate for Fremantle, Kate Hewlett, who narrowly lost the WA seat and
01:36is standing again in the federal poll, has been calling for an inquiry since election
01:41day.
01:42We were surprised that we hadn't been consulted or informed about it before hearing about
01:47it in the media.
01:48The final report is due before the end of June, however Mr McCusker may seek an extension
01:54if more time is needed to deliver his recommendations.
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