Application by Damien Stapleton for an inquiry into an election in the Australian Theatrical & Amusement Employees Assocaition

[1984] FCA 291

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I N THE FEDERAL COURT OF ArJSTRALIA I

6F NEW SOUTH WALES ) N.S.W. No. 9A of 1982

INDIJSTRIAL D I V I S I O N )

THE CONCILIATIGN AND AFPITRATION ACT

1904 PART IX

AFFLIZATIf3N B 1 0.4MI"tN STAPLETON

FOR A N INOIJIi37 INTO AN ELECTIGN

I N THE AUSTRALIAN THEATRICAL

AND AMUSEMENT E?IFL,JCZES ASSOCIATION

THE C3IJP.T ORIjEFtS THAT:

The Notice of Motlon dated 30 Auuust 13$4 oe dismissed.

IN T H E FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA )

OF NEW SOUTH WALES N.S.W. N o A A of 1392

I N f i U S T R I A L D I V I S I O N )

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After a lenathv and hotly c m t e s t e d i n q u l r v tne

Court 3s o r e s e n t l p constituted 3n 30 Seutember 1383 havlnu

follnd c h a t l r r e a u l a r l t ~ e s had sccur red In che said election

made the fo l lowlna er, lers p u r s u a n t t o 5.1651 ? r mct f t h e A c t :

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c e r t l f i e d r . 4 7 ( c ) of t n e rules of

the o r a a n i z a t i a n re d e l e t e d .

Havlen appeared f o r Mr S t a o l e t o n and Mr Kenzie ?topeared f c r

Mr McGill and c e r t a i n o t h e r o f f l c e - h o l d e r s of the Branch.

Mr Havlen lndlcated that i t was hls submiss ion tha t the

\Court was func tus o f f i c lo and conseauen t lv r:ld no

l u r i s d i c t l o n CO hear the motion. Mr Kenzle iareed. The

Court havinu heard r'BJl1 suDmlsslons In th i s reuard he ld

that the Ccjurt was func tus In r e soec t of ~ t s orders and

t t a t che motion was i m r o p e r l v before the Court and

a c c o r d l n u l v t h e jame w a s dlsm1;sed.

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A t noon on 31 Auaust 1434 the m o t i m w a s listed

before the Court as p r e s e n t l v c o n s t i t u t e d . Mr Wrluht af

Counsel aDpeared f o r Mr StaDleton: :.lr K+nzic of rt:,unsel

aDDeared f o r Mr McGlll and C ? r t a l n Q t h e r o f f l c ? r s ,2f rhe

arancn a d Mr McMillan (2f t he Svdnev o f f i c e of the

Aus t ra l l an Government S o l l c l t o r a o p e a r e d f a r Nr Fenman. an

n f f l c e r of the A u s t r a i l a n E l e c t o r a l Cffl,:o i;ho 1 3 t he

t e t u r n l n u o f f l c e r I n t h e new e l e c t l o n r e f e r r e d t n I n Order

2 made 30 SeDcember 1322.

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Fur the r Mr McMillan advised the Court-

(11 that i n f a c t t h e b a l l o t had 0:1,33ed a t l0 am t h a t d a v ,

3 1 Auuust 1984 I n accordance w l t h the n o t l c e p r l n t e d m t he

L a l l o t o a p e r s :

( 2 ) that t h e R e t u r n m u O f f l c e r hdd forwarded out some 5.36G

bal la t LaperS . and

t 3 ) t h a t l . ' 3 i O bal lot . paoers had been re turned t o the

L e t u r n m u M f l c e r by 1ila.m. r h a t dav. ~ a ~ ~ r c m . a 3 7 . 0 %

return) : rcf percentaue of ballot Darjers r e t u t m d I n the

1382 e l e c t l o n	a s set out I n E;ratt J . S	lud.xment	i n 56 ;.;F.	i
- - -	: L ) . l

L am f i r m l y of t he - n e w t h a t on,:e a 5.165;\ 5 l ecc lon

!commences the Court has no l u r l s d i c t l o n 1.mdir a ":lbertv to

~ p p l y " ljrder that l c mav have made when vaklnu 82rders 8.inrler

s . i 6 5 whlch form the basis f o r :he new ? l e c t l o n . Thls was

the case h e r e . iinv s t e o l n any such s.llj5.A ;.iectlon av.

s l n c e l6 Eecember 1383 twhen 5 . 3 7 of .;cr. Go. 115 of 1 4 6 3

czmmenced), be challcnued under Fart IX the A c t by a n y

memter of the oar t ic l l la r u roanlza t ion .a t ,anv ~ i m e a f t e r thp

commencement (Jf che election. I n e f f e c c , tne e l e c t l m

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havina commenced, rhe orovis1ons of t h e Act take over . On

a n y such aop l i ca t lnn fo r an inaul rv the Cour t havinu

s a t r s f i e d I t s e l f t h a t h e r e 1 s reasonable uround f o r t h e

c h a l l m u e rs.l53(41\ol) mav make a o p r o o r l a t e o r d e r s . ?lchrr

ln te r lm $under 5.1631 or f i n a l ' u n d e r s .1651 l f s a t l s f l e d

t h a t an ' l r requiar l t - : " ha5 *JcctAt-red I n at- I n connwt lon

n t h che election wnlch m v have	3 f f ec t ed	rhe	r	su l t
tnereof .

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required and that in his view 1ba.m. xas the msst appropriate time. Accordinalv. a directlon to that effect had been prlnted on each ballot oaoer. (see s . l ' i O B t l ) of

the Act.	)
.Accordinalv. the motlon hrreln filed on ~ C J Auuust

1984 is dismissed.