INDI Liberal candidate Sophie Mirabella was yesterday unwilling to explain the thinking behind her how-to-vote card which puts right-wing Rise Up Australia Party ahead of Labor and the Greens.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That decision appears at odds with the promise of Coalition leader Tony Abbott, who said on Monday parties he deemed “racist” would be preferenced below the Greens.
Mrs Mirabella was asked about the decision to preference Rise Up Australia’s Bob Dudley in sixth place, saying that preferences were “done by party headquarters”.
Rick Leeworthy, candidate for the conservative Christian party Family First, got the second preference, while Katter’s Australian Party’s Phil Rourke and Palmer United Party’s Bob Murphy are at No.3 and No.4 respectively.
Independent Cathy McGowan, who looms as Mrs Mirabella’s biggest challenger, is preferenced seventh, with Labor and Greens, in the No.10 and No.11 spots respectively.
Mr Abbott vowed the Greens would be put last on all Lower House tickets, in a bid to prevent another minority government and because the party is “anti-jobs”.
But on Monday a Coalition spokeswoman confirmed how-to-vote cards in electorates where parties such as One Nation, Socialist Equity and Rise Up Australia were running wouldn’t put the Greens last.
Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney several parties were “racist”.
“They are put behind the Greens,” he said.
Rise Up Australia is running on an anti-multiculturalism platform and is led by anti-Islam pastor Danny Nalliah.
Mr Nalliah said the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires were punishment for the Victorian government legalising abortion, and was caught up in a long-running alleged racial vilification trial with the Islamic Council of Victoria.
Mrs Mirabella would not comment on the preferences, nor say if she had made recommendations to head office.
“I’m not going to discuss what conversations I have with Liberal party headquarters — at the end of the day they’re the ones that have the final responsibility,” she said.
Asked why Rise Up Australia had been placed sixth in a field of 11, she said: “You’ll have to ask them (party headquarters)”.
A surprised Mr Dudley described the ticket as “interesting”.
“I can understand her doing that,” he said.
“I guess she wouldn’t consider us any threat.”
Greens candidate Jenny O’Connor tweeted: “Preferenced last by Sophie Mirabella — badge of honour.”
“I’m pleased to be seen as the total opposite of the policies of Sophie,” she said last night.
