The Greens have asked for a recount after its one-term Western Australian Senator Scott Ludlam lost his seat today.

Predictions since election night have held that Ludlam and the Australian Sports Party candidate, Wayne Dropulich, would win the final two seats in WA. However, when the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) computer distributed preferences today, the ALP’s Senator Louise Pratt and the Palmer United Party’s (PUP) Zhenya Wang emerged victorious.

Ludlam’s defeat was caused by a 14 vote difference between Australian Christians and Shooters and Fishers candidates that ensured preferences flowed to the ALP and PUP ahead of the Greens and Sports Party.

Clive Palmer’s party will now have 3 senators after next July. Palmer has won the House of Representatives seat of Fairfax by 7 votes but a recount will begin tomorrow. PUP won 709,076 primary votes – 5.49% – nationally in the House. In the Senate, it won 658,892 votes, or 4.91%. By any measure, this is the most successful performance by a new party since the Australian Democrats won two Senate seats in 1977.

The final result in Western Australia sees the re-election of the Liberal Party’s two senators, David Johnston and Michaelia Cash. However, the Liberals have lost one seat by failing to replace retiring Senator Alan Eggleston.

Aside from incumbent Senator Louise Pratt, the ALP has also elected Joe Bullock. Pratt’s narrow victory reflects the low ALP vote of just 26.59%. [Read more…]