Qld: Beattie warning over federal probe

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2000
Qld: Beattie warning over federal probe

BRISBANE, Aug 23 AAP - A federal parliamentary probe into allegations of electoral
fraud in Queensland could be intruding into the domain of the police, Premier Peter Beattie
warned today.

Special Minister of State Chris Ellison today referred the allegations of electoral
fraud made by jailed Labor figure Karen Ehrmann to an all-party federal parliamentary
committee.

Ehrmann, the former ALP state candidate for Thuringowa, was convicted of 47 charges
of forging electoral forms on August 11.

Senator Ellison asked the federal parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Electoral
Matters to examine the allegations that electoral fraud was widespread in the Labor Party
in Townsville with a view to recommending an overhaul to the Commonwealth Electoral Act
to prevent such activities.

"Allegations of systemic electoral rorting in Queensland threaten the very integrity
of the electoral process," he said.

Mr Beattie responded to Senator Ellison's announcement with a warning that any investigation
by the federal parliamentary committee into criminal matters would be inappropriate.

"If it (the federal parliamentary committee's investigation) relates to improving the
electoral system then I would support it," he told journalists.

"If it relates to more than that, if it covers matters relating to police, that's a
matter for the police, not politicians.

"Politicians should never get involved in investigating criminal matters - that's what
happened in Nazi Germany."

AAP bja/sc/gmw

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