Jake McPherson
43 Elizabeth Bay Road
Elizabeth Bay NSW 2011

* O’Farrell behind preferences flowing to Nile

Sean Nicholls. Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, N.S.W.: Mar 15, 2011. pg. 4

THE state Opposition Leader, Barry O’Farrell, has been forced to defend the Liberal Party’s decision to direct preferences to the Christian Democratic Party in the upper house only a week after ruling out preferencing former One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, because of her policies.

As flagged by Mr O’Farrell on Friday, pre-poll electoral material prepared by the Liberals instructs voters to direct preferences to key independents in the lower house.

But it also directs voters to place the Christian Democratic Party as its second preference on the upper house ballot.
The Christian Democratic Party, led by its upper house MP, Fred Nile, is standing on a platform of “No Islamisation of Australia”.

The decision by the Liberals increases the likelihood that the CDP’s lead upper house candidate, Paul Green, will be elected.

Labor’s campaign spokesman, Luke Foley, said Mr O’Farrell “would do a deal with just about anyone to win control of the Parliament”.

Mr O’Farrell said it was “a party decision”.

Credit: Sean Nicholls STATE POLITICAL EDITOR
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