Antony, What dicates the numbers of the Senate seats each State has (i.e. What will cause Senate seats to go from 12 per State to 14 per State)? Also, given the House of Reps quota is driven by the population rather than the number of electors in each state, have there been in the past where one State has higher percentage of non-citizen, causing smaller electorates than other States? COMMENT: The number of Senators per state is determined by normal legislation, subject to the six original states having equal representation. The number can be simply increased or decreased, but such a change also alters the size of the House of Representatives. In the 1980s WA had the same number of seats as South Australia, a higher population, but fewer registered voters. This was mainly caused by there being more people under 18 in Western Australia.

Antony, are there any rules and guidelines for ECSA for electorate name changes? I remember a few state elections ago, there were a few electorates name changes from honouring famous South Australian to geographic names (I was in electorate of Coles and it changes name to Morialta). Now it seems ECSA has gone the reverse, changing electorate of Norwood to Dunstan. I don't think it is really helpful to voters, as they get confuse with name changes as they go to poll (I am not saying Don Dunstan don't deserve the recognition, but I don't think electorate name is the right way to recognise famous South Australian...) COMMENT: There is no standard critieria. In every redistribution report the Commission has given its reasons why it adopted particular name changes. In most cases it has been responding to submissions on names. Each Commission can make its own choice because there is no overall set of rules on how electorates should be named. Each Commission is free to make its own decision and refer to how it has continued with or varied from past decisions on naming.

Just saw an article from ABC News regarding Paul Collier of Dignity for Disability party is seriously ill and unlikely to be recovered. Isn't there an electoral rule states if one of the candidates died before the election been held, the election for that particular electorate would be postponed until a new nomination is held? COMMENT: That's the rule for lower house electorates. Mr Collier is contesting the Legislative Council. If Mr Collier were to pass away before polling day, his name would remain on the ballot paper. The first step of the count would be to distribute any votes for him to the second person in his preference ticket. Two candidates would have to die before the Legislative Council election was deferred.

Kind-of off-topic question for Antony Green: if both South Australian and Tasmanian state elections are to be held on the same date (20 March 2010), what would be likelihood for you to come over to Adelaide to do ABC1's SA election coverage on election night in Collinswood, rather than in Hobart? Given you were at Tasmanian state election 4 years ago, would you be more likely to be in Adelaide for the election night, as you "owe" South Australian ABC viewers for your excellent election analysis once? COMMENT: I can only be in one state at a time. The ABC will have to make a decision on where my talents can best be utilised on the night.