Katter’s Australian Party – Attorneys General from across Australia called for input in unprecedented case

Attorneys General from across Australia called for input in unprecedented case

Statement from Rowell Walton – President, Katter’s Australian Party

We are faced with the untenable situation where the Electoral Commission of Queensland is preventing us from using our registered name which is Katter’s Australian Party (Qld Division) on the ballot paper, instead insisting that we use our abbreviation, ‘The Australian Party’.

This brings about the bizarre situation where the Australian Electoral Commission has informed us that if we say, publish or permit the printing of the words ‘The Australian Party’ during an election we will be committing a crime punishable by up to six months in prison. At the same time we have the Queensland Electoral Commission forcing us to use that very same name.

Despite running for the full day on Monday, the Supreme Court considered the matter so significant that it required the Attorneys General from all state be given notice so that they would have the opportunity to be involved before the matter was able to be heard in full.

There is little more we can say now until Wednesday when this bizarre matter will again be before the Supreme Court.

Ends

For further information, contact Scott Barrett on 0434 740 698 or Bernard Gaynor on 0413 722 995