Compulsory voting back on the local government agenda

COMPULSORY VOTING BACK ON THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENDA
LGAT Vote Will Inform Parliamentary Committee

The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed moves by local government in Tasmania toward the introduction of compulsory voting in municipal elections.

Greens Local Government spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that the motion submitted by the Hobart City Council to the Local Government Association’s upcoming Local Government Conference had acknowledged the importance of compulsory voting in an effective and fully-functioning democracy.

“Local government is a vital component of our democracy, but the current system of optional voting doesn’t do enough to encourage all voters to get involved and have their say,” Mr Morris said.

“The Greens are long on the record as supporting compulsory voting in municipal elections as the single best way to address the worryingly low participation rate in local government ballots.”

“Last year the Greens moved to have this issue examined by a Parliamentary Committee, and we are hopeful of achieving tripartisan support in time for the next round of local government elections in 2013.”

“Compulsory voting is just one of the areas in local government where reform is overdue, and the Greens are currently working with Labor to progress measures that would prevent Members of the State Parliament from holding Local Council seats concurrently.”

“The Greens have been pushing these reforms for over a decade, because we want voters to receive full value from their elected representatives across all tiers of government,” Mr Morris said.

http://www.examiner.com.au/news/local/news/general/council-rallies-against-water-charges/2618806.aspx