Courtice v The Australian Workers' Union of Employees, Queensland and Others [1997] ICQ 2 (1997) 154 QGIG 677

676 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETTE 2 J Febniary, 1997 1 21 February, 1997 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTR[AL GAZETTE 677 ,f r I. s ########################################################## QUEENSLAND INDUSTRI AL COURT lndu.,1rial Relations A ct 1990 Bnan William Co urti ce (Applicant) AND The Austrahan Workers' Union of Employees. Queensland (First Respondent) AN D William Pat.rick Ludwig (Seco nd Respondent) AND Barry K. Meiklejohn (Third Respondent) AND Queensland Electoral Commission (Founh Respondent) AND David Gottke (Fiflh Respondent) (No C94 of 1996) J US TICE B.W. AMBROSE (ACTING PRESIDENT) 2~ January 1997 REPORT ON JUDGM ENT (AS EDITED) _In giving his Judgmenl from the Bench on 9 January 1997. the Acting President sa1d :- 'T his is an applica ti on by the Queen sl and Electoral Commission the fo~nh respondent, a nd Mr Gottke the fiflh responde nt , a senior elec ti ons officer w11h th at Commission. pursuant to secti on 349.5 of the lnd11.s1ria/ Rew1ions Act 1990 for an order that until the conclusion of the election which is presently taking place the fourth and fifth respondents trem any ballot papers received from persons named in a supplementary h_s1 of members of the unio n. the first respondent union. supplied to Mr Gottke by the union on 11 December 1996 no differently from_a ny other ballot papers. or ballots. received in the course of the election. It emerges from the material that o n I Novemher 1996 the union provided the required infonnation seeking an elect ion for various officers and advertisements were made as requi red in November and ballot_material, ballot papers. were posted to e li gible members of the orgamsatton of the union on 12 December 1996. The ballot wi ll close on Thursday 23 January 1997. The ap plican_t, by applicati on made on 4 December 1996. sought certain rel'.ef and 1t 1s unnecessary for me to descend to the panicul ars on the rehef sought. but s t_ated bri_ef1y, the ap plicant com pl ains that the me~1bers h1 p of the union provided. initially. by the first respondent. was dehc1ent m that as II now appears some 940 persons now assened 10 be members eligible to vote, were not listed. but they have been listed subsequently. A letter was writt~n on behalf of Mr Courtice, the applica nt initially, in December cxpresstng some concern about the members omitted from the 22420_ 1.DOC -- 1 of 2 -- 678 QUEENSLAN D GOVE RNMENT I DUST RI AL GAZETTE 21 February, 1997 h\l ,n111ally supphcd At thal \lJt;C 11 wa~ 11\\WJght that 60 I ""'mber, h,1d nol b.!cn cemficd Now il oppcars that on facl II was 940 members ,,nd 1hi~ concern wa, expressed to Mr Gottke. the fifih respondent, who" !he returning officer appointed lo co nduct tht> ctWJnlmg of th,: >Ille< and ,u on b) the Ele,:toral Comm1"1on m ~peel of lhe elect,on of offio:r, of the fir,1 respondcnl Rcoll) t he applica11on todly ,, 111Jde on hchalf of the fou11 h and fihh rc,ptmdcnIS ,;ed.mg the ord.:r ,n 1enns wh,,h I hJ,c alrcad) \IJted and II " th, contcnuon of the founh and fifth rc,poodent, th.11 'what tl~ arphcnm, Mr Cou111ce. s.:ek, os ;1 depanurc from the method which " onhn,iri ly fo!IO\,ed in the counling of votes 111 union elcct ,011~ A, I undel"StJnJ from the nutcnal and v.h.it r,e be<n ,ntormed fnwn the BM table, the !,tCneral ruk "· that the hJIIOl paper, arc returned r sent to 1he ElcLtoral Comml\\lOll by post. When the envelope " rcu:ived it is checked 10 see 1h111 11 complies with the rcqu1rcmems of the unton rules so th.11 the per"'" who has app.1rcntl~ ,em h" ballOI paJ)ll 1111, the Elector.ii Office In< ,1~nc-J it and can he ,denuficJ b) the pt:N"1 rcccovmg the en,dope who cJn chc-c k 11 agJ111>t the m.:mherslup h,1 Thm perso n cn,urc; th at rt l111, hcen pt11 roncdly signed hy the pe1M11 who,c name appc.u, on 11. II there has be.:n compliance v.11h the unooo rul~ then the en,elopt: ,, opcnccl, the ballot paper " tul.en out and put in a container. the declaration envelope a~ it "dc,cr ibed. is put in another box The obJeCI of thl\ procedure hemg. to prc,ent all} pcr"-ITT 1den11fy111g the "a~ ,n ....,h,,h a unron n ,nt-er b.is, >« ,l Nuw, the procedure to be followed will be 1ha1 m 10 a.m. on 23 January the IJ,t of the b.1ll01 paper~ will be collected They are being collcctcd .11 the moment. prc-.umabl} e.ich J.iy some add,uonal t>allot papers JI\' returned by po.hi When the hallot cio,c, then the en,clop..-... "'111 hc ,hcc t..cd and ,f the n,les ha,c b..'Cn comph,·d "ith they v.rll he op..11s:,I and 1hc VOIC5 counted. l\ov. for the apphcanl. ~1r Coumce. 11 " -..,d 1haI there arc <u<pic1on <>r he has cor-..:cm that there h.i, t-een wmc orregulant) m the elector.ii pr1,c,•ss under thc union rule~ hoxause the 940 member, "ho were not 1nolinlly certified u, rnembcrs of the union ,huuld have hccn and coulLI hJ>c ea,.1ly b<'Cn certified It ",.i,d 1ha1 ,n,c:,11p11on, aa pre,cntl) hc111g conducted. but I as,umc thal rt 1s unl, 1. cly 1ha1 they w,11 be fin1Shed or cc1111ple1cd 10 the ,.,1i,fac1ion of Mr Counice pnor to the hal101 closing upon 2~ Januaov w~, ,s sought ,. that 1he h.11101 pal"'r, lrc~n the 940 pcNm, on 1h1• , 1ppkmentaf} h..i be countcJ but quaranun.:,! that " thJI the) be held to~cthcr pend,nl:' 1hc hold111g of an 1nqu1ry b> the ~cgO'trar - ,inJ ul 11 matcly by the Chief Con11 111~s1oner, I expect, if the 1114l11ry of the ~cg1,1rar do.:, not -.ati<I) the p.inies imo lvcd. with J \lew 10 then Jctcrmmmg 1f .i fair election h:i, t-n b.:ld It "llOI JlC"'lhk to \3) hov. n1.1n) of the 940 f'C'"Oll' or member< on 1hc ,0pplementaf'\ lrst v.ill "~c They may all H>tc or perh.ir, none of them w,1 1 ,0te . Pc,h.,ps I O or 20 will vote. The: rc\Uh ofquarantmmg tlk:rn m my ,ic:v. ma) mfnnr,: 1hc ~cren of the ballot. It nlJ) nOI, but 1t lllJ) And II v.111 depend upon how m.ony vote and whcthl:r they all vote the one wny faen 1f the way un 1nd1\ldual memhcr voces ,.innut he a~t•nJrncd becau,c of say 200 ol them v.ho m1gh1 ,oce. ~rhap-. PS or w ,...,II vote 1>nc v.a) and the J,aJ.1n,c the other "a). so 11 , n<~ po,,ible tu Jctcmuoc 1nJI\ ,Jually ho v. 1hc members ha,c vOled. n Illa) well he 11!.: ~1tua11on th,11 if a larp: number of them vote one way only, then sonic ~,austical exercise can hi: performed v.hoch may reflect to an unacceptable e~tem, rn Ill) viev. the ht..dohood of mJl\1dual memht-r< ha,,ng ,01, d ma pan,,uiar v.a1 Nov., in Ill) vrcw, to Ju,u fy u departure trom the nrdrnary wa) nf counting vote, a,,, dcpo~l 10 in the aflidovi1 of fift h rc~pondent. there ha, 10 be good rca.-.on ~hov.n In th1, case 11 1na) v.ell hc the ,nualll>n depend.mg upoo the maJont)· .-.f 1hc cand1dJ1c ,.ho ...,,n, the electron that no benefit at all v.111 be ach1c\CJ b> categommg the v.a) ,n v.h1ch .m 1dcn11fiable number of voters haw voted On the other hand there rm1y be an infnngcmcnt of the secrecy of th<' ballocing process and ,n Nlan,mg the v.a) m v.hoch the ballot papc.-r, are 11 he counted and tl,·c ,1,ng whctocr the ordinal) procedure v.hu.h would 11<~ J"'nTUI c,cn a ,1a11,trcal anal)<" 10 be made of the WJ} the 9-10 \Iller- from .i particular are.i have voted. tln~ mu,1, rn my view, loot.. at what would he .;,;hoe,cd if th1, ,kpanure v.erc required '-ov. 10 me. 11 1, far from cle.u thJt anything much v.ould hc a,tue,ed at all l1 i,ccms 10 me that the cunte,t between Mr Courtice and Mr Ludwrr is a stu1.:wi dc contest involving 50,000 or 60,000 rnemher-. On the ""umpt,on th:u there is some irrcgulant) 11,1th re,pecl to the pro,,s,on uf the names of the 940 memh.:r~ later than those pro"tkd 1nillall}, a"urnong 1ha1 there r< an irrc~'\llanty, v.hcther rt v.ould ha,e any effe<.t on the elect,on will de pend ult ima te ly on the majonty by whi ch the elcwon 1s won by one or other of the candid ate>, Ii II !,c ,IJ011,n th.it there i, an irregularity m,ol\rng 1h,,.,. 9.tO member, anti thJI that 1rrcgulanty nl.l)' concei,ab ly have had .in cflect on the ekct illn having rcg.1 rd to the rnajo, 11 y by which the successfu l cand,datc v.in,. then it seerm to me that the "tuation may well be that there "111 be a ncv. electJon One must balar-..:e lhe sec~-.:~ reqwrem:nt< of 1he rule, aga1n\l the pr.igmauc CQ<.t ,.i,mg exercise that nu~ht possibly be rn vnhcd 10 sa~rng well, of the 200 member, v.ho \'Oted frum those 940 conto rncd m the ,upplerne nt ary list 150 vo1cd one way untl ~0 voted t he other .ind therefnrc ~,ing re~ard 10 the V.J) o1her n1t:mhcr, ,oted v.c c..lll ,hov. thai one c311d1d:lle rather than the other .Jiould ,ucc..-ed II ,-cc111, 10 rnc that as anrnct rvc as thal upp,oach may be, ii would ...:nou,Jy infringe the secrecy rc<1u irerncnt, of the u ni on de,tion. I ha,c ,ome 10 the condu"on that there 1s no sufticrcnl reawn ,hov.n for th,: founh and fifth rc-ponden1, 10 depan from the ordinan v.J) ,n whrch unoon ballot papc:r, are coun1ed There'' no <UffiC1cn1 JUSOficalll>n ,hown to ljU,\rant,ne the b.illot paper, Shoo Id there be an) suffic14:,n1 reason that can be ad, Jnced by the Jpphcant. Mr Counoce. to the rcg1'trar. an H1<ju1ry can b.: held as to 1hc 1rrq1u lrui ties, of any, in the conduct of the election and uh 1111ately the Ch ief Comnu~sioner can look ut the 4ue,t1on of 1rreguh11111es if th e r··4l11"lc! e, idencc can be pro>1ded There: •~ no e, ,Jenee belorc me at all 10 \UggeSt 1hat there i, ,u,h onegulanty. J u,1 that the ap phcant ha~ <0 1r1e concern, thnt there may hJ,c been irregul1m11es bccau...: of the failure to provide •he name, of 9-IO ,,f the members muiall) r.ithcr than h) v..i\ of supplemcnl.lf) list There" an expl.inauon given !or this fa1lu1c It , unneu:,s.,ry for me to look ut that. It hu,11'1 been argued again;t or com rocn1ed upon on behtil f of Mr Courucc and,.-~ unllCl:C'-'JI')' for ,nc 10 look at th,11 e~planauon 1h.,t 11,oce a ma11cr. on m) , ,~v.. for con,,ukrauon should Jn mquor') he held •.- to megulanues J 1hc1cfore proJ>l1SC 10 make the order sclUght by the foullh and fifth re,pvncknts v.ho are person, under an obhrauon 10 ob-.c~e the umon ruk, on 1he ~onJu.i ~r t1ru, cl,-.11 ..n and m my \ICV. the onhnal') pr00l.'' "h1d1 " used for counung , otc, 111 all union election, ought not he dcpani.:d from tor th e reason, advanced on hchalf of the npphcant, Mr C1,u11rce '-<> I make the or<.kr m 1enn., iof 1he draft v.h1ch has been hJnded 10 ,ne on hc:hJlf of the founh and filth respondc:m, .ind I order 1hat until the conclu"o n of the clecuon prc..cn tl y taking place, the liiu 11 h and fi lt h rc,pt>11tlenl< treat an~ ballOI paper< recc,,cd from pcr,on, who are n.unnl m the lr\l -upphed to the fifth =pondent b) the fiN respondent on 11 December 1996, no d1llcrentl) from the: way ,n v.hrch any other ballot papers .,re treated which are received in the rnursc of the clcctJon ". Dated tht tv.ent)-<lfhth Ja} of fanuJr). 1997 By th e Coun, [LS J F !:WALD. lodu\lri,1 Registrar Appe11rr1111 e<:- Ms B C.illagb.in (in\lructed b) Quinlan Mrllcr Tr.:stonl wuh her Ms C Swb,:rlw on belulf of the apph, lll'll Mr A llcrhe11 (in,1nu;1.id by C.A. Swieca & A"oc ,ate,) tor T he Australian Wort..,·r,· Unron of Ernplo)ees, Q\l~'Cn,land. I l _2 _1_Fe_b_ru_a_ry_,_19_9_7__ Q_U_E_E_N_ SL_A_N_ro_ o_o_v_E_R_N_M _E_~N_T_ IN_D_u_s_T_R_IA _L_G_A_z_E_ITE ______~ 679 Mr G Manin Cin\lructed by the Crown Sohcll<>r) on behalf or the founh and fi fth respondenL, Oper.t1ive date. NIA Report on Judgment - B W Couruce ANl> AWU; W p Lud.....,g. H K McrlleJohn; Qucen<land Electoral Commrs\ltln and D. Go11J..e Released: 6 February 19 97 ########ll## #l#l###### ###### # Uff##l l l#iliilHtMll #* *JUllUUIMM # ## -- 2 of 2 --