PREFERENCES RORT WON RYAN AND BEAZLEY KNEW: CANDIDATE

Crucial preferences were directed to the ALP in the by-election for the
Federal seat of Ryan after a Labor operative agreed to offset the campaign
expenses of a minor party candidate, according to statements given to police.

Mr Nigel Freemarijuana, the candidate of the HEMP party, claims the
"highest levels" of the ALP - including the Opposition Leader, Mr Beazley -
knew a preference-swapping deal was arranged between Labor and his supporters.

Federal police are winding up an investigation into earlier claims by Mr
Freemarijuana that Labor provided photocopying services to minimise his
campaign expenses in return for his preferences.

His preferences were directed to Labor in the March by-election in the
Brisbane seat. He attracted 1,700 primary votes, a key factor in the
255-vote win by Labor's Ms Leonie Short.

Police have been told that a HEMP supporter received an offer of campaign
help from a Labor operative, Mr Ron Attwood, husband of a Queensland ALP
MP, Ms Julie Attwood.

Mr Attwood had agreed that Mr Freemarijuana's supporters could photocopy
campaign material in his wife's office and this was done, police statements
said.

Ms Attwood has consistently denied knowledge of contact between Labor
members associated with her and the HEMP candidate. She has said it was
"extremely unlikely" that his material was copied in her office.

"Nobody I know of, or was involved with, was involved in any deals," the MP
told the Herald. "There were no deals at all. I have provided the police
with all the information that I have."

Her husband declined to comment on the substance of his talks with HEMP.

The Electoral Act prohibits a candidate from asking for, receiving or
obtaining benefits of any kind to influence the allocation of preferences.
Breaches can attract fines of up to $5,000 or two years' jail.

Mr Freemarijuana had retracted a claim he made soon after the by-election
that he did a preference-swapping deal with Labor.

But pressed on the details of the police investigation, he agreed that
photocopying was done in Ms Attwood's office after the offer was made by
her husband.

"It went to Kim [Beazley], it went to Leonie [Short], it went to the
highest levels," Mr Freemarijuana said. "They knew about it weeks before
the election."

However, Ms Short said the fact that preferences were directed against Mr
Freemari-juana showed there was no preference-swapping deal.

She said that neither she nor Mr Beazley knew of any such deal.

While Mr Freemarijuana believed he had a deal with Labor, he was placed
ninth on its how-to-vote cards.

"Labor was doing double-dealing, saying one thing and doing something
else," he said. "Then they left me to be their scapegoat."

The Federal Police are expected to issue a statement soon on the outcome of
their probe.