The Australian
8:19AM January 31, 2018
Andrew Clennell
NSW Political Editor
Sydney

One Nation has registered for the NSW election, in a blow to Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s chances of avoiding a hung parliament, and a blow to either side of politics’ hopes of avoiding One Nation holding the balance of power in the upper house.

The party had to file 750 signatures by the end of December in order to be registered in time for March 2019 election and managed to so just before Christmas 2017.

The NSW Electoral Commission website states: “Political parties, applying for registration and intending to participate in either a state or local government election, must be registered for 12 months prior to the close of nominations for that election. Applications should be submitted 3 months prior to that date, or 15 months prior to the close of nominations.”

A commission spokeswoman would not confirm when the One Nation application form was in but said that the 15 month deadline was a “guideline” and the commission had the ability to waive applications through, provided they were lodged within 12 months of the election date.

The NSW election will be held in March 2019.

“I can confirm the that the party’s application for registration will proceed to the public notice stage tomorrow,” the spokeswoman said.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s spokesman James Ashby said that the party’s application had been in time and the party “found out last week” that its application had been successful.

Around 17 political parties are understood to have registered for the NSW election, with Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives among the parties who have had their applications accepted.

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party, which won the lower house seat of Orange in 2016 and has two upper house seats is likely to suffer from the entry of One Nation, because it will split its vote.