There are growing calls for an independent inquiry into the WA Electoral Commission's handling of the state election, following complaints of long queues and insufficient ballot papers.
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00:001, 2, 3.
00:04As counting continues in Fremantle, Simone McGurk is counting the cost of Labor policies.
00:12I think there are messages about the environment, about the need for climate action and actually
00:17as a government we need to heed those messages.
00:21The Water Minister suffering a 28% swing to Teal independent Kate Hewlett, who was backed
00:26by Simon Holmes Accord's Climate 200.
00:29I did get feedback that people were concerned about the environment and concerned that government
00:35isn't doing enough, particularly on climate change.
00:39There is an urgency around that.
00:41It's so exciting, no matter the outcome we've won so much here and won the hearts and minds
00:47of the people of Fremantle who think, oh I can have a say and I can participate and I'm
00:51paying attention now, we're not being excluded from politics, we're being included.
00:56The seat remains on a knife edge, with Cabinet decisions put on hold pending the result.
01:01The ABC understands there are currently nine seats in doubt.
01:05Labor is ahead in four of those, including South Perth.
01:09The Liberals are ahead in three, including Kalamunda and Albany.
01:13And the Nationals and Independent are ahead in the remaining two seats.
01:18As counting continues here in Fremantle, there are calls for an independent review into how
01:22the entire election was run, following reports of staffing issues, long queues and a shortage
01:28of ballot papers.
01:30Whatever colour you vote, whether you're a Green, One Nation, Liberal, Labor, people
01:35have a right to vote.
01:37The fact that we're hearing people were turned away is a serious concern.
01:42It's my view that the first act of the new Parliament, the 42nd Parliament, should be
01:47to suspend the Electoral Commissioner and to initiate a full Parliamentary inquiry into
01:53the conduct of the 2025 state election.
01:56The WA Electoral Commissioner, Robert Kennedy, says the Commission will cooperate with any
02:01Parliamentary inquiry and will also conduct its own review.