If you thought the 2010 federal election campaign was lacklustre & media reporting ordinary - wait until you see what this ballot cost voters

Apparently Australian taxpayers spent over $53 million electing a minority government. Are we getting value for money so far from this Government and its Loyal Opposition?

From an Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) 13 October 2010 media release:

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has authorised the second and final payment to political parties and candidates for votes received at the 2010 federal election.

The final payment is $752,094, bringing the total to $53,163,385.

Payment is made in two stages, with the first stage based on the number of votes counted as at the 20th day after election day. This first stage payment was announced in an AEC media release of 20 September. The second payment is the remainder due once vote counting is finalised.

Payments are calculated using an indexed sum per first preference vote. At the 2010 federal election, each first preference vote was worth 231.191 cents.

In order to obtain election funding a candidate must obtain at least four per cent of the first preference vote.

At the 2007 federal election, a total of $49,002,639 was paid. The funding rate for the 2007 federal election was 210.027 cents per vote.

Following on page two is a breakdown of the election funding for the 2010 federal election.

Election results are available from the AEC's Virtual Tally Room.

Final Election Funding Payments Summary, 21 August 2010 Federal Election
Click on table to enlarge






















And that is without adding the AEC's costs.