Australian Greens Senator and Chair of the Senate Inquiry into the Commission of Audit, Dr Richard Di Natale, announced today that his Senate Committee will hold a hearing in Perth next Tuesday.

“Forget budgie smugglers, Mr Abbott is starting to look like a budget smuggler,” said Senator Di Natale.

“The Commission of Audit’s first report must contain some explosive recommendations for brutal cuts in the budget. Why else would Tony Abbott be so determined to keep West Australians in the dark before they vote?

A farmer, an academic, a disability advocate, a law and politics student and a scientist will join Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam in the race for a senate seat on April 5.

Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said he was proud to stand alongside passionate, dedicated Greens candidates that represent a broad range of skills, knowledge and backgrounds.

"It is so encouraging to have a strong team out campaigning during this election who care deeply about disability care, farming, health, education and justice," he said.

I welcome the news that today the AEC has reached a decision on their next course of action.

As I am a named respondent to the AECs petition we'll be seeking legal advice and won't be commenting further at this time.

Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam has urged the Australian Electoral Commission to delay declaring the result of a recount of the WA Senate vote until an investigation is completed into 1,375 votes that have gone missing from the original count.

The AEC is proposing declare the Senate result on Monday despite announcing today that the missing votes that had been verified during the initial WA Senate count could not be located, rechecked or verified in the recount process.

The Australian Greens have welcomed a decision today by the Australian Electoral Commission to re-count the all formal above-the-line WA Senate vote, following the Greens’ appeal last week.

“We congratulate the AEC for doing what people across the Australian political spectrum have called for and consider reasonable,” Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said.

“With such a marginal result, and a number of anomalies in some batches of the vote, this was the only sensible decision.