12 April 2005

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) announced today that the first stage of election funding payments is being made for the Werriwa by-election.

Election funding is paid after each federal election and by-election and payments are made in two stages. The first payment is 95 per cent of the amount due based on the number of votes counted as at the 20th day after election day. The second payment is the remainder due once counting has been finalised and verified.

Candidates are eligible for election funding if they receive at least four per cent of the formal first preference votes in the election they contested. Election funding is paid to the party when the candidate is endorsed by a registered political party and to the appointed ‘agent’ for other candidates.

The rate of election funding for the Werriwa by-election is 196.147 cents per formal first preference vote received.

The election funding paid to candidates this week is as follows:

Australian Labor Party	$69,478.60
The Greens (NSW)	$6,943.02
Australians Against Further Immigration	$6,043.00
Family First Party	$5,385.22
James Young	$9,758.61
Joseph Bryant:	$5,023.71
TOTAL	$102,632.16

Media contact:

Kathy Mitchell
Director, Funding and Disclosure
Ph: 02 6271 4413