[Greens-Media] (Sylvia Hale MLC) Greens Move For New Elections In Wollongong And Port Macquarie Passes Upper House

[Christopher Holley]

Greens Move For New Elections In Wollongong And Port Macquarie Passes
Upper House
  
A Greens amendment to the NSW Local Government Act requiring new
elections this year for Wollongong and Port Macquarie-Hastings Councils
passed the NSW Upper House last night.
 
The amendment to the Local Government Amendment (Elections) Bill 2008
was moved by NSW Greens Local Government Spokesperson Sylvia Hale MLC.
 
The Greens amendment  requires that where a council is dismissed and an
Administrator appointed, elections for a new council must be held either
within twelve months of the dismissal or at the next scheduled local
council elections, whichever is the sooner.
 
“My amendment to the Bill was supported by the Opposition and the
crossbenchers. Only the Government opposed it,” Ms Hale said.
 
“The amendment sends a clear message to the Government that the Upper
House believes that democracy must be restored to local communities, who
must be able to vote to elect a new council at the earliest opportunity
- in September 2008 in the case of Wollongong and Port
Macquarie-Hastings councils - rather than wait for up to four years, as
the government wants.
 
“Clearly, by preventing elections being held for many years, the
Labor Government punishes not only those councillors who have spoken out
against improper behaviour, but also the residents who have suffered at
the hands of the council. The government wants to deprive them of the
right to vote and thereby prevent them giving effective expression to
their outrage at what has been going on.
 
“Postponing elections for years, as in the case of Wollongong,
Liverpool and potentially Shellharbour councils, enables the Labor party
to avoid being held accountable. 
 
“Labor had hoped to be able to side-step the stench emanating from
Wollongong and put off the day of reckoning. The Upper House amendment
should put paid to that.
 
“The amended Bill will now go back to the Lower House. The onus is on
the government to accept the amendment and do the right thing by the
communities who have suffered for so long at the hands of corrupt or
incompetent councillors and their cronies,” Ms Hale said.

 .Further information: Chris Holley  (02) 9230 3030 / 0437 779 546