Recommendations

Clearly there has to be law changes, to stop a repeat of this at the 2008 election. My suggested changes include:

* Increase maximum penalties under the Act for corrupt practises from $4,000 to $1 million and from one year to three years in jail.

* Increase the penalties for illegal practies from $3,000 to $100,000

* Remove the Police from having a role in prosecutions. They have shown they are not interested and to be blunt not competent. This is a specialised area of law.

* There has long been a deisre to merge the three electoral agencies (Electoral Enrolment Centre is the third one). This should proceed and the new agency given the power to fully investigate and prosecute breaches. This will means Parties can not ignore the electoral authorities with impunity. A Judge will still of course decide on whether the law has been broken in any instance.

* Amend the Electoral Act to allow parties, not just individuals, to be held liable so different people in a party can’t just point the blame at each other.

* Amend the Electoral Act so prosecutions can be commenced within 12 months, not six. Six months does not allow enough time for a thorough investigation when you consider it takes four months or so for the election returns to be filed and published.