澳大利亚自由党的一份泄露文件暴露出重大治理漏洞，该党在维多利亚州关键选区Ripon的预选中，将已故人士和前党员登记为预选委员[1]。已故自由党成员John Stokes于2026年9月去世，但仍被注册为该选区的预选委员[1]。前自由党成员Nicholas Healey和John Ternel也出现在预选委员名单中，两人的资格栏均标记为"TRUE"[1]。
这一错误引发了对党的预选流程的严重质疑。Deakin大学议会研究部副教授Ken Coghill指出，"有可能存在某种欺诈行为"，并警告称"这留下了欺诈流程的风险"[1]。John Ternel曾收到自由党6月份的邮件，通知他被选为"Ripon预选大会代表"，随后被注册为预选委员[1]。预选投票原定于2026年12月举行，但延迟6个月后于2026年6月进行[1]。
Ripon是维多州西部的关键地方选区，目前由工党以2.7%的优势控制[1]。
Australia's Liberal Party faces fresh scrutiny over its preselection processes after a leaked document exposed serious irregularities in the key Victorian seat of Ripon.[1] The party registered a deceased member and two former party members as preselectors for the upcoming ballot, raising questions about governance and procedural oversight just months before the state election scheduled for November.[1]
John Stokes, a Liberal Party member who died in September 2026, remained on the preselection committee roster, while former members Nicholas Healey and John Ternel were also listed with their eligibility status marked as valid.[1] Ternel had received a June email from the Liberal Party notifying him of his selection as a "Ripon preselection assembly delegate" before being formally registered as a preelector.[1] The preselection vote, originally scheduled for December 2026, was delayed and ultimately held in June 2026.[1]
Ken Coghill, associate professor of parliamentary research at Deakin University, expressed concern about the irregularities, stating that "there could be some kind of fraud involved" and that "this leaves a risk of fraudulent processes."[1] Ripon is a marginal western Melbourne seat currently held by Labor with a 2.7 percent margin.[1]