Media Release | 3 December 2025
Shane Love MLA
Shadow Minister for Electoral Affairs
Leader of the Nationals WA
Leader of the Nationals WA and Shadow Electoral Affairs Minister, Shane Love MLA, is calling on the Cook Labor Government to come clean about their knowledge of “significant risks” which undermined the integrity of the 2025 State Election.
An internal Evaluation Report prepared by the Department of Finance in December 2023 – but never made public – identified serious problems associated with the use of external recruitment contractor, PersolKelly, to supply the temporary election workforce.
Key findings from the report include:
• A 25 to 75 per cent likelihood that PersolKelly would not be able to supply sufficient staff for polling day;
• Significant concerns about the management systems being used to onboard and manage staff; and
• A warning that if those issues occurred, voting centres would not be managed efficiently and effectively, resulting in complaints, the public being unable to vote, and reputational damage.
“These risks were red-flagged a full year before the election, by the Government’s own Department of Finance,” Mr Love said.
“They warned that without adequate staffing and robust systems, the election would be mismanaged, and yet the Government went ahead with the contract anyway.”
The Evaluation Report also confirmed the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) had requested additional funding to secure a larger temporary workforce, and warned that if funding was not approved, staff numbers would be reduced
“That request was ignored. Instead, the Expenditure Review Committee slashed $12 million from the funding requested by the WAEC, just five months before the election,” Mr Love said.
“The Government’s refusal to properly fund the WAEC left our democracy exposed.
“I call on the Government to guarantee legislative reforms before the next State Election to grant the WAEC the power to draw down necessary funds as required to manage elections properly, as recommended by the Special Inquiry.
“A new, reliable funding model must be implemented urgently before another election.”
ENDS
