Wayne Dropulich

Wayne Dropulich of the Australian Sports Party was elected to the Australian Senate in the final count of the 2013 federal election before the Western Australian Senate count was declared void. A 2014 Western Australian Senate election was held on April 5 with the Sports Party failing to win a seat.

Although it is a minority party that received fewer than 3,000 first preference votes in 2013, under the Australian Single Transferable Vote system it was predicted for a length of time that the party would receive the required 123,304 total votes to fulfil a Senate quota in Western Australia. Dropulich did not win a seat in the initial count but was elected to the Senate in a recount.

With the prospect of the Motoring Enthusiast and Sports parties each winning a senate seat despite getting to the 14.3 percent quota with preference flows from record-low primary votes of 0.5 percent in Victoria and 0.2 percent in Western Australia respectively, various parties and MPs including the incoming government are looking at Senate reform.[1][2][3] The Sports Party has been involved in Glenn Druery's Minor Party Alliance.[4][5]

References

  1. ↑ Coalition shy of Senate majority: Business Spectator 9 September 2013
  2. ↑ Tony Abbott fires a warning shot at micro parties in the Senate: WA Today 9 September 2013
  3. ↑ Xenophon wants voting reform: NineMSN 9 September 2013
  4. ↑ Bitter dispute erupts over Senate preferences in Queensland: ABC 5 September 2013
  5. ↑ Alliance of micro parties boosts odds for likes of One Nation or Shooters and Fishers gaining Senate spot through preferences: Daily Telegraph 5 September 2013