WAEC investigating sexist remarks during Pilbara election count

The WA Electoral Commission is investigating allegations of sexist remarks made by its staff during the Pilbara election count. The investigation was prompted by a complaint from Liberal MP Neil Thomson on behalf of Amanda Kailis, the Liberals’ candidate in the region. Thomson claimed that a Liberal scrutineer faced "deprecatory remarks" based on her gender after she questioned the validity of some votes. The complaint mentioned comments such as, "we have to make the women happy," which were reportedly made by electoral staff. Additionally, Thomson raised concerns about Labor MP Kevin Michel providing lunches to the vote counting staff. He argued that this could be seen as an inducement for preferential treatment, which would violate the code of conduct. A WAEC spokeswoman confirmed that they would look into both complaints. In response to the lunch controversy, Michel stated he did not intend any wrongdoing. He explained that staff at the counting center asked for lunch, and he decided to bring back food as a polite gesture for their hard work. He apologized if his actions were perceived as inappropriate. Labor declared Michel the winner over Kailis soon after, securing him a third term in office. The WAEC has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and is conducting its investigation.