What is the AEC hiding?

Willmac Enterprises Pty Ltd (ACN 110 954 624) was formed on 14th September 2004 and wound up voluntarily just over two years later. The way it conducted its affairs was unusual for a company with a paid up capital of just ten bucks it spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the run up to the 2004 election in support of the Liberal National Party coalition.

Following a complaint by Greens leader, Senator Bob Brown, the Australian Electoral Commission investigated the activities of Willmac but couldn’t seem to find any evidence of wrongdoing.

Now an Adelaide suburban newspaper, Messenger Newspapers, has been doing a bit of investigatiing and found out more with its limited resources than was the AEC. In particular it has found that out an Adelaide businessman and Brethren capo, Warwick Joyce, had a significant involvement that was unknown to the AWC. Notwithstanding the information that it has passed on to the AEC, the Commission is still prevaricating refusing to make public what it has done to investigate the matters raised. Read more here.

Crikey reports today:

What we now know about the Adelaide versions of these ads is that they were booked by one Exclusive Brethren member, authorised by several others and apparently paid for by yet another Brethren member’s company. Claims that all these people were acting off their own bat and not as part of a campaign seem risible.

Meanwhile it was revealed in Senate Estimates last May that a matter concerning Willmac Enterprises has been referred by the AEC to the Australian Federal Police, who have yet to confirm whether or not they will investigate.

Who can doubt that with another federal election just months away, we should all be watching this space?

Clearly the AEC should give an account for its tardy and inadequate response in regard to this matter.