THE Victorian Electoral Commission is still to receive an appeal from the Victorian Labor Party into the final result of the Ripon electorate.
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Labor has until January 24 to lodge an appeal into the final vote which saw Ripon Liberal MP Louise Staley returned for a second term by just 15 votes over Labor candidate Sarah De Santis.
A VEC spokesperson said at this stage no appeal had been lodged with the Court of Disputed Returns.
A Labor spokesperson has confirmed the party will be lodging an appeal before the deadline.
“Although some scrutiny had been applied we believe full scrutiny of the whole count has not been performed.” ALP deputy campaign manager Kosmos Samaras said at the time the result was announced.
“We were looking for a formal recount from start to finish,” he said.
The court of disputed returns, a body of the Supreme Court, has the authority to confirm the result, set aside the result or they can also call a by-election.
Legislation is clear that there is no recourse to appeal once the Court of Disputed Returns makes its ruling.
I’m just getting on with my job, and it’s up to Labor what they do.
- Ripon MP Louise Staley
Ripon MP Louise Staley said the appeal was out of her control.
“I do think there was a lot said and thought about it at the time, now we have to get on with our job and my job is to be the member for Ripon,” Ms Staley said.
“I’m just getting on with my job, and it’s up to Labor what they do. My view is I’ve been sworn in as the member for Ripon.
“I’m very confident the VEC and the electoral commissioner have been thorough, we took a long time to get to the result.”
Ms Staley said she would focus on her two roles as member for Ripon and as opposition treasurer.
“Shadow ministers can, and I have, requested a departmental briefing,” she said.
“My position is holding the government to account and showing an alternative.
“It’s broader that what we spend money on, particularly now when we have global economic uncertainty and house price decline. In Victoria the budget is very dependent on stamp duty from housing transactions.
“You’ve got to look at budget on a whole, it’s all very well to look at expenditure side of the budget, but you’ve got to say can we afford them? What is the revenue side of the budget looks like. Clearly there’s some dark clouds on the horizon.”
After the election, Ms Staley is one of just four Liberal female MPs currently sitting in the lower house.
