Former MP Craig Kelly has demanded the resignation of Australia’s Electoral Commissioner, accusing him of “malicious and vexatious prosecution.” Kelly criticized the conduct of the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and described their case against him as absurd and unprecedented.
According to Kelly, the AEC launched their case against him on the eve of the election, with a phone call from United Australia Party (UAP) boss Clive Palmer informing him about the legal action. Kelly believed that the motive behind this last-minute action was to prevent him from campaigning the next day.
Initially, Kelly dismissed the phone call as a joke, but later realized the seriousness of the situation. The case revolved around the legibility of an eight-point font size used in an authorization statement on election material. The AEC sought an interim order to prevent Kelly from campaigning on Election Day.
Kelly compared the situation to that of a banana republic and recalled having to scour his election booths to find signs with the supposedly small font size. The judges eventually dismissed the case with costs, but the AEC continued to pursue the matter.
Kelly faced potential fines of up to $100,000 or even half a million dollars, all because of a font size issue. He contrasted this with a separate incident where a woman assaulted him with an egg and only received a $300 fine. He argued that the AEC’s case against him was disproportionate.
In his decision, the judge criticized the AEC’s conduct, describing it as unjustifiable and unreasonable. Kelly pointed out that the AEC had never prosecuted anyone in this manner before. He also provided examples of other political figures using fonts of similar sizes on their election material.
Kelly accused the AEC of targeting one side of politics on an ideological basis. He called for the resignation of AEC boss Tom Rogers, stating that allowing this case to proceed had damaged the AEC’s reputation.
The controversy surrounding this case raises questions about the conduct of the AEC and the fairness of their actions. As the calls for the resignation of the Electoral Commissioner grow louder, it remains to be seen how this situation will be resolved and what impact it will have on the Australian political landscape.
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