THE Palmer United Party may not be allowed to stand candidates at the state election after former candidate Marti Zucco lodged an appeal against its registration as a party.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Zucco filed an objection to the party's application for registration last month, claiming the party had asked him to get a non member to sign a statutory declaration saying they were a member for the purpose of registering the party.
His objection was rejected by the Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner, and the Commissioner's decision is the subject of the new Supreme Court appeal.
Mr Zucco resigned as a Palmer United Party member in December, following a reported dispute with Senator-elect Jacquie Lambie. He stood as a candidate at the federal election.
He said he was not trying to frustrate the party but had concerns about the process.
Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner Julian Type said he was served with the Supreme Court notice of appeal yesterday afternoon.
Mr Type said if the Supreme Court of Tasmania had not made a decision on the issue before the writs are issued and the electoral roles close at 6pm on February 19, the party would not be registered.
If that happens, the party's 19 candidates will have to run as independents or be endorsed as a non-party group, requiring the support of 100 nominators for each electorate.