Liberal Party's Preselection in Victorian Electorate Raises Governance and Fraud Concerns

The Liberal Party in Victoria has registered an ineligible deceased member and two ex-members as preselectors in the key electorate of Ripon, raising concerns over party governance and potential fraud ahead of the state election.

Ripon, held by Labor with a 2.7% margin, sees Liberal candidate Megan Read, Nationals' Jo Armstrong, and Labor's Martha Haylett campaigning. However, a leaked spreadsheet from June shows at least three ineligible individuals were registered to vote in the preselection, including deceased member John Stokes. His wife, Arvon, reported constant calls seeking his support before his death in September.

Former Liberal members Nicholas Healey and John Ternel were also listed as eligible despite no longer being party members. Ternel received emails and calls regarding his non-existent participation.

A Liberal source expressed frustration over delays in the preselection process, originally scheduled for December, citing concerns over integrity. Associate Professor Ken Coghill highlighted the risk of fraudulent processes due to inaccurate lists.

One Nation, yet to announce a candidate, uses a top-down selection process without member preselection, criticized by Coghill for potentially not reflecting local views. Trevor Andrei, a prospective One Nation candidate, is bound by an NDA.

The Liberal Party did not respond to questions on the ineligible members or governance concerns.