Electoral Act 1985

After considering all objections to an application for registration of a political party submitted under this Part, the Electoral Commissioner must determine the application.

An application for the registration of a political party must be refused if, in the opinion of the Electoral Commissioner, the name of the party or the abbreviation of its name (if any) that it wishes to be registered—

comprises more than 6 words; or

is obscene; or

is the name, or is an abbreviation or acronym of the name, of another political party (not being a related political party) that is a parliamentary party or a registered political party; or

so nearly resembles the name, or an abbreviation or acronym of the name, of another political party (not being a related political party) that is a parliamentary party or a registered political party that it is likely to be confused with or mistaken for that name, abbreviation or acronym; or

comprises or contains the word "Independent".

An application for the registration of a political party may be refused if, in the opinion of the Electoral Commissioner the name of the party, or the abbreviation (if any) of the name, that it wishes to be registered—

is the name, or an abbreviation or acronym of the name, of a prominent public body, or so nearly resembles the name, or an abbreviation or acronym of the name, of a prominent public body that it is likely to be confused with that name, abbreviation or acronym; or

comprises or contains a word or set of words—

that constitute a distinctive aspect or part of the name of another political party (not being a related political party) that is a parliamentary party or a registered political party; or

that so nearly resemble a distinctive aspect or part of the name of another political party (not being a related political party) that is a parliamentary party or a registered political party that it appears that that distinctive aspect or part of that name is being adopted by the political party applying for registration.

Subsection (3)(b) does not apply if the applicant for registration provides the

Where a writ for an election has been issued, a political party must not be registered during the election period.

Where the Electoral Commissioner decides that a political party should be registered, he or she must—

register the party by entering in the Register—

the name of the party; and

if an abbreviation of the name of the party was set out in the application—that abbreviation; and

the name and address of the person who has been nominated as the registered officer of the party for the purposes of this Act; and

give written notice to the applicant that he or she has registered the party; and

if any person or persons submitted objections to the application—give written notice to the objector or objectors that he or she has registered the party, setting out in the notice to each objector the reasons for rejecting the objection; and

publish in the Gazette notice of the registration of the party.

Where the Electoral Commissioner decides that an application for the registration of a political party should be refused, he or she must give the applicant written notice of—

the refusal; and

the reasons for the refusal; and

the rights of the applicant to seek a review of the decision of the