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Labour to consider electoral petition

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Mon, 19 Dec 2011 6:23a.m.

Sepuloni and Bennett

Sepuloni and Bennett

The Labour party will decide this week whether it will pursue an electoral petition to challenge the result in the Waitakere electorate.

National's Paula Bennett reclaimed the seat from Labour's Carmel Sepuloni following a judicial recount last week, which put Ms Bennett nine votes ahead.

An electoral petition is the final means by which the Labour party can challenge the outcome.

Labour members and officials are still to decide whether they will pursue the electoral petition option, Ms Sepuloni told NZ Newswire.

She added that at this stage it's unlikely and it was not up to her to make the decision but something for party members and officials to decide.

Ms Sepuloni has served the last three years as a list MP for Labour.

However, by losing the Waitakere seat and being ranked too low on the party list, Ms Sepuloni is now out of parliament.

Raymond Huo, the next person on the Labour list, will be the party's 34th MP if the result stands.

On election night, Ms Bennett was 349 votes ahead of Ms Sepuloni, but after special votes were counted, Ms Sepuloni was declared the winner by a margin of 11 votes.

The National party then applied for the judicial recount, which tipped the seat in their favour.

NZN

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Comments

20 Dec 2011 08:22a.m.

GS wrote:

Would someone in the media like to explain to us poor ignorant peasants what exactly an electoral petition is, and how it differs from the recounts etc??? It's not like we see one every day, or even every election.

19 Dec 2011 06:22p.m.

Chris wrote:

Labour will not want a recount as it will show how corrupt some Labour voters are. Double voting and voters either not enrolled or from outside the electorate rorting the system. Labour will try every dirty trick in the book to regain power so they can continue there corrupt socialist ideaologies from bribes to corrupt voting.

19 Dec 2011 04:25p.m.

Solomon wrote:

End of the day there is a winner and the people have spoken (not by much to be sure) Carmel was less than gracious and I mind not a bit that she is not in and the situation in parliament is unchanged, so a good result. Move on Labour before you damage yourselves even more.

19 Dec 2011 12:20p.m.

Alex wrote:

End all, hold a by-election in Waitakere with only the two candidates. By asking for recounts and challenging the results, the seat is just going to keep swinging between the two.

19 Dec 2011 12:18p.m.

cherie wrote:

I wonder if Carmel takes back her comments she made after she thought she had won?

19 Dec 2011 10:58a.m.

Chargone wrote:

I'd kinda like to know how this sorta thing even happens... there (should be) the same number of voting papers marked the same way, after all. then again, simple human error could explain such a small difference with so many voting papers. interesting to see how close a lot of the margins were when a lot of people didn't bother voting because the outcome was a 'forgone conclusion'. hopefully these people learned their lesson. it's almost enough to make one wish for compulsory voting. almost.

19 Dec 2011 09:13a.m.

smith wrote:

The result has changed twice:
A judge has found nine people voted twice and 393 people voted despite not being on the electoral roll...sound like george bush in 2005 election