Graeme Williams, Mullumbimby
Voters need to be aware of the dangerous preference deal that the WikiLeaks Party have done with the Shooters Party in NSW. WikiLeaks have betrayed progressive voters by preferencing the far-right Shooters Party, who are competing with The Greens candidate, Cate Faehrmann, for the last NSW senate spot.
In 2004, the Democrats did a similar preference deal with Family First in Victoria. They did not expect to get ultra-conservative Steve Fielding elected (it was part of a complex deal that was intended to save the seat of the third Labor candidate), but instead it wound up electing Senator Fielding by accident.
The outcomes of preference deals with micro-parties can be highly unpredictable. That’s why WikiLeaks’ decision to preference The Shooters Party is a monumental mistake and seriously risks electing a pro-gun senator whose sole agenda will be to placate the gun lobby and relax gun-control laws.
The WikiLeaks Party state that they stand for transparency and accountability, but in reality they have put ego and deception before principle.
Progressive voters who care about issues like stopping coal seam gas mining, internet freedom and including dental care under Medicare need to vote 1 for The Greens above the line. Voting for the WikiLeaks Party will only help Tony Abbott and his right-wing nutters take control of the senate.
