By Lisa Martin Daily Telegraph
August 21, 2010 3:05PM
FORMER prime minister Kevin Rudd has avoided the family of a victim of his Government's home insulation debacle, who were protesting at a booth where he had arranged to vote.
Russell Blyth and Andrew and Cassandra Oliver lost their nephew Matthew Fuller, 24, when he was electrocuted while installing insulation on October 14, 2009.
His girlfriend Monique Pridmore, 20, also had her leg blasted in the accident.
The trio held giant posters with photos of Matthew saying "killed" and "lives lost" outside the Uniting Church polling booth in Norman Park on Saturday.
Mr Rudd had arranged to vote there at 1pm (AEST) but instead voted at Norman Park State School to escape the protesters and the waiting media.
His spokesman Patrick Gorman told AAP it was a case of logistics and denied that Mr Rudd had tried to avoid the family.
Earlier an Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) official asked the family to move six metres away from the entrance to the polling booth, but they stood their ground.
Mr Blyth told the media that they had a right to protest.
"Mr Rudd shouldn't be a frontbencher or a backbencher, he shouldn't be in charge of a grain of rice," he said.
"Kevin Rudd is a man we want to see pushing a lawnmower next week."
Mr Blyth said he wanted an apology from Mr Rudd for not acting sooner to prevent more deaths.
"When Matthew died a year ago, and we informed you about it ... you did nothing," he said.
"When the second guy died, you did nothing. You continued to do nothing until there was four dead."
"These guys only wanted to earn a day's pay."
The family told reporters they had been bullied and spat on by Labor volunteers at another polling booth in Mr Rudd's electorate at Bulimba and an AEC official approached the family there as well.
Further comment was being sought from Mr Rudd.
Of course the “Simpsons and Big Brother Network” couldn’t bring them selves to tell us the full story on their ALP, Union friendly “kiddies FM” network news tonight.
The FIX is on!!!! so far no reports of Labor's "Dead Men Voting"
Polling officer removed on bias concerns
Daily Telegraph
August 21, 2010 2:28PM
THE manager of a Sydney polling station has been removed after it emerged he was formerly a policy advisor to two Labor MPs.
The Liberal Party complained about Rocco Leonello on Saturday, citing concerns about his former advisory roles to NSW Labor MP Joe Tripodi and retiring federal MP Julia Irwin.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) removed Mr Leonello, who was running a polling station in Cabramatta, in the federal seat of Fowler.
The AEC said Mr Leonello had worked in similar polling station roles during previous federal and state elections.
"There was absolutely no issue with him doing the job. However, because of the perception of neutrality, he has been replaced as the officer in charge," an AEC spokesman told AAP.
He said it was important the perception of neutrality was upheld.
Mr Leonello declined to comment when asked by AAP.
Now you know why Labor’s bad boy Mark Latham went public last week on Sixty Minutes urging Australians to leave the ballot paper blank so as to register an informal vote… oh yeah right Mark.
With men and women like Mr Leonello running the Polling Booths no wonder Labors favourite “Mad and Bad Boy” Mr Latham was advocating voters deposit BLANK ballot papers into the ballot boxes already to be filled in by the likes of Mr Leonello and their loyal Union / Labor staff.