So the AEC is supposed to be independent and impartial. Then why is the ALP and the Coalition mentioned several times (below)?
This will test your sense of impartiality. What would you do? leave the names "ALP", "Coalition" and "Major Parties" in, or take them out and instead talk about political parties in general without mentioning the names of any parties?
impartial |imˈpär sh əl|
adjective
treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just
From the AEC site ....
What is the difference between two candidate preferred or two party preferred?These are different terms, though they can often, but not always be interchanged.
The term 'two candidate preferred' (TCP) refers to a distribution of preferences (votes) between two candidates who are expected to come first and second in the election. Often the two candidates for the TCP process will be from the ALP and the Coalition, but it could also be candidates from minor parties or independent candidates depending on who is expected to gain the majority of votes.
The term 'two party preferred' (TPP) refers to a distribution of preferences (votes) between the two major parties – the ALP and the Coalition (Liberal/National parties). This comparison is usually used to try to predict the possibilities of forming a government. It is a tool that examines the proportion of votes that will go to the major parties after all preferences have been taken into consideration.
Why does the AEC conduct a full distribution of preferences where a candidate has won an absolute majority?A distribution of preferences takes place in every division and is used to calculate the two party preferred statistics for divisions that have ALP and Coalition as the final two candidates. In divisions that do not have the ALP and Coalition as the final two candidates, a Scrutiny for Information is conducted to determine the two party preferred result. A scrutiny for Information in such cases is a notional distribution of preferences to find the results of preference flows to the ALP and Coalition candidates.
https://www.aec.gov.au/FAQs/Voting_Australia.htm#compulsory