NSW; SEO says contractors working to resolve computer glitch
(EDS: Clarifying status of manual count on updated information from SEO)
SYDNEY, April 15 AAP - The integrity of the NSW Legislative Council result had notbeen compromised by computer problems that may force a manual count, the State ElectoralOffice (SEO) said today.
The NSW opposition today called on NSW Auditor General Bob Sendt to investigate the"standards and practices" of the SEO, following two failed attempts to confirm the finalmember of the upper house using a computer program.
The SEO had twice planned to run a program that would have distributed preferencesfrom more than four million ballot papers in about two hours when the computer crashedlast week.
State Electoral Commissioner John Wasson today said he had begun preparations for amanual count but remained hopeful the computerised system could be fixed.
"On a daily basis, new problems and irregularities are emerging in the upper housecount," opposition upper house leader Mike Gallacher told reporters.
"Already we have seen two aborted electronic counts and now the State Electoral Officeare working around the clock trying to get a result before parliament is meant to reconvene."
The new parliament sits for the first time on April 29.
NSW Premier Bob Carr said the delays in counting were unsatisfactory.
"It's not good enough and it should be a whole lot more efficient than this and theelectoral commission will have to do better in future," he said today.
Mr Wasson said contractors Hansen Technologies were "confident they would be able tofix it up and run the program sooner than later - perhaps even before Easter".
The manual count would only be completed if the computer system could not be fixed, he said.
However, leader of the National Party in the upper house, Duncan Gay, said the peopleof NSW were losing confidence in the counting process.
"It's meant that we're not sure how valid those results will be," he said.
But Mr Wasson said the NSW electorate could be "absolutely" assured of the integrityof the final result, whether it was delivered via a manual count or the computer system.
"The integrity of the election is not at all at risk, there is an audit trail for everyballot paper - anyone can look at them - there's no corruption of the data base at all,"
he said.
Mr Carr said an independent inquiry into the delay was possible.
"Quite possibly," he said, adding quickly that he would wait for an explanation fromthe SEO first.
AAP hn/nf/ph/de
KEYWORD: POLLNSW UPPER LEAD
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