Senator David Leyonhjelm has launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay for an urgent high court challenge of Senate voting reforms, to be heard in early May.
The Family First senator Bob Day launched the high court challenge this week, arguing Senate reforms disenfranchised voters because they “take away a voter’s right to delegate their distribution of preferences to a minor party of their choice”.
It is being funded by Family First and other minor parties including the Liberal Democrats.
After a directions hearing on Thursday the court agreed to urgently hear the case on 2 May and budget day, 3 May.
On the same day Leyonhjelm launched a crowdfunding website with a funding target of $20,000 to pay for the challenge:
We're crowd funding our support for the High Court challenge to Senate voting rules. https://t.co/WeLcuw4FKT #auspol
— David Leyonhjelm (@DavidLeyonhjelm) March 24, 2016
The site claims the Liberal party, Nationals and the Greens “have combined to shut minor parties out of the Senate”.
“There are over 20% of Australians who do not vote for Labor, Liberal and the Greens. One in five Australians will now be disenfranchised,” it said.
“With the $50m taxpayer dollars the major parties pay themselves, and not a cent going to minor parties and new entrants, the Senate will become the exclusive domain of incumbents and the rich.”
After three hours of fundraising, the Liberal Democrats had raised $340, or 1.7% of the target.
The website accepts donations of up to $1,000 and allows users to nominate their own donation size. The first donation was for $3.30.
Day said it was his “distinct impression” from the directions hearing that the court would “consider this matter to head off an early election”, such as a double dissolution which may be called on 11 May.
“It is an obvious point that it’s better to hear these cases or hear these matters before an election than after,” he said. “There is a public interest in doing that.”
Day said he was very grateful for the urgent hearing and said it “showed that my case has real merit”.
The Liberal Democrats clearly relished the prospect of supporting the challenge:
High Court to hear case on Senate vote changes May 2 and budget day, May 3. Embrace the disruption, Malcolm. #auspol
— Liberal Democrats (@auslibdems) March 24, 2016
The voting reform bill passed on Friday requires voters to vote one to six above the line, or number one to 12 preferences below the line. However, if a voter simply votes one above the line, the vote will still be valid. The vote will be exhausted if candidates in that column are eliminated from the count.
