Federal election 2022: Liberals preference Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party in every State except WA

Peter LawThe West Australian
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Camera IconWA is the only State where the Liberal Party won’t send Senate preferences to Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party. Credit: News Corp Australia

WA is the only State where the Liberal Party won’t send Senate preferences to Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party.

Liberal how-to-vote cards encourage supporters in Victoria and Tasmania to place the UAP second on their ballot paper, third in NSW and Queensland and fourth in SA.

By contrast, in WA — where Mr Palmer remains unpopular because of his failed attempt to rip down the hard border — the Liberals are not preferencing the UAP at all.

Instead, the party’s how-to-vote card instructs WA voters to place the Australian Christians second, followed by the WA Party, Liberal Democrats, Australian Federation Party and the Australian Democrats.

Camera IconLast month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told The West Australian he didn’t want the Liberals to do a preference swap deal with the billionaire. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper/The West Australian
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The Liberals are not preferencing the UAP in the Northern Territory or Australian Capital Territory either.

Last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told The West Australian he didn’t want the Liberals to do a preference swap deal with the billionaire.

“I don’t believe there will be a deal,” Mr Morrison said on March 18.

“It is a matter for the party organisation. But no I don’t believe there will be a deal and that is certainly not my expectation and it is certainly not my request.”

The move to preference the UAP last in WA’s House of Representative seats and not at all for the Senate is an attempt to neutralise Labor’s efforts to remind voters that the Coalition briefly supported Mr Palmer’s bid to reopen the border two years ago.

Mr Morrison has since talked-up his management of the pandemic as a “partnership” with Mark McGowan and said he reversed his Government’s initial support of the High Court challenge in mid-2020 after speaking to the WA Premier.

“Clive Palmer is no friend of WA – accordingly he has been placed last on all Liberal how-to-vote recommendations in WA,” Attorney General Michaelia Cash said.

Camera Icon‘Clive Palmer is no friend of WA – accordingly he has been placed last on all Liberal how-to-vote recommendations in WA,’ Attorney General Michaelia Cash said. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper/The West Australian

“Decisions on where Labor and One Nation will be placed have been made on a seat-by-seat basis.

“In Curtin we have recommended Labor ahead of the so-called independent Kate Chaney, because at least the Labor candidate is honest about where his loyalties lie.”

Preference deals relate to where parties place their opponents on how-to-vote cards and where votes flow to. They can significantly impact the outcome of the election in closely fought seats.

How-to-vote cards are being published this week after postal forms started to be delivered to the homes of those who registered to vote early or remotely.

Ms Chaney has said her how-to-vote cards would ask voters to mark “1” against her name and leave it to individuals to decide how they complete the rest of their ballot.

She has not, however, clarified whether should would support the Liberals or Labor in the event of a hung parliament.

The Greens are encouraging its supports to preference Ms Chaney, who has received $300,000 in donations from Climate 200, in the race for the blue-ribbon seat.

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