Bligh’s bungle means hundreds to miss out on voting at Local Government elections
5th February, 2012
Federal Member for Wide Bay, Warren Truss, today warned that hundreds of people have been disenfranchised at the deferred local council elections, because of the failure of the Bligh Labor Government to extend the date for the close of the electoral roll for the local government poll.“The roll for the Local Government elections closed last Tuesday, but the poll will not be held for another 12 weeks. It is ridiculous that the roll should close so early, when the poll is so far away,” Mr Truss said.
“This is a typical bungle from a Labor Government characterized by its incompetence.
“It is already too late to enroll for the Council election, but ironically, people who enroll now will still be able to vote at the State election which will be held on 24 March, five weeks earlier.
“Anna Bligh on 30 November 2011 told the Queensland Parliament,
‘…that the Queensland Government would not be moving the date of the council elections in 2012.’
“This is yet another broken promise from Labor, which is going to cost hundreds of people their vote,” Mr Truss said.
“When the Premier announced the State election date she changed the date for the Council election from 31 March to 28 April 2012. The date for the close of nominations was changed to 27 March and the opening of pre-poll voting was changed to 16 April 2012. But Anna Bligh failed to extend the date for the close of the electoral roll for the council elections.
“This means that people who have recently moved to the area will miss out on helping to shape their future council,” Mr Truss said.
While the Australian Electoral Commission manages the electoral roll, the Queensland State Government is responsible for setting the closure date of the roll for State and Local Government elections.
“Anna Bligh’s broken promise has inconvenienced council candidates and sacrificed voters not yet on the roll.”
