Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party has taken its fight to the High Court, challenging a law blocking its registration for the next federal election. Lawyers argue the law unfairly discriminates against the party and restricts electoral choice. High Court reporter Elizabeth Byrne is following the case.
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00:00The problem for the party is that a group that's been deregistered can't re-register
00:08in the same electoral cycle, but must wait for the next federal election.
00:13Lawyers for the party say that discriminates against their candidates and is unconstitutional.
00:19If the party is not registered, its logos won't appear on any ballot paper for the
00:25Senate or the House of Representatives.
00:27Mr Palmer says that will make it very difficult.
00:31Now what it means is we can still run in the election, but no one will know who our candidates
00:36are.
00:37So when you go to vote, you see on the ballot paper it says so-and-so Liberal Party, so-and-so
00:43Labor Party, etc.
00:44So if you're not registered, they won't put your party name there.
00:48So it's really the major parties, I would say, that just want to seek an advantage.
00:54But the government says the registration system is set up to maintain the integrity
00:58of the electoral system, and registered parties have to meet obligations as well as getting
01:04the benefits.
01:05At present, the United Australia Party has only one senator.
01:09Today the courts heard if the party is to re-register by the next election, things need
01:15to move quickly before any writs are issued and the opportunity is lost.