Wednesday 1 September 2010

Local government warned about new voting system

Queensland councillors have been urged to look closely at the Queensland Labor government’s proposed changes to local government voting system.

The annual Queensland Local Government Association is meeting in Mackay today and is reviewing changes being discussed by the Law and Justice Safety Committee to introduce proportional representation.

“Councillors are currently elected by optional preferential voting where the local government area is divided into single member divisions, and first-past-the-post in all other cases,” Shadow Minister for Local Government Howard Hobbs said.

“Prior to the last election The Greens, who favour proportional representation, did a preference deal with Premier Anna Bligh, who then called the election early before a new local government voting system could be introduced," Hobbs told the conference in Mackay. "Clearly proportional representation is back on the agenda and I urge all councillors to look at it carefully for what impact it could have on their councils.”

Hobbs says proportional representation was more likely to favour minority groups who would have a destabilising effect on councils.

“If you don’t like proportional representation you need to campaign strongly against its introduction,” he says. “The long-term Bligh Labor government has a track record of sneaking through tricky legislation, but it is politically vulnerable and you should be actively lobbying against unwanted changes to the local government voting system.”

The plans comes on top of a move to remove all divisional boundaries in the Cairns Regional Council area, which is expected to be endorsed by the State Government prior to the next Council election in 2012.

8 comments:

Alison Alloway said...

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Why remove the Divisional boundaries? Surely it is better for representatives to have a personal, detailed knowledge of their own division so they can represent it better?

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

Methinks the councils everywhere should really be more concerned about the recent groundswell of ratepayers who now possess a copy of the new and famous letter from the Attorney-General Hon Robert McClelland MP, which clearly states: "The Constitution does not currently recognise any local government".
If our Constitution lacks any recognition or support for local government, why then are we still allowing councils to have all this extra power they seek, and make the decisions they do, without our approval, when in fact the same situation occurs year after year? There are people whose lives have been, and are being ruined via the over zealous tactics of these now- amalgamated bullies calling themselves councils.
Until councils come to the party for and with the people who actually elected them (unless that's rigged too), it will be the same crap, but a different day!

Frank said...

At the risk of being sued, I'm not sure if my local councillor, Alan Blake, has a personal, detailed knowledge of his own division!

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

Councillor Blake once owned, or still owns a property in Doyle Street, which is STILL on the books with the council for repairs badly needed to the drainage at the front of the property.
The drainage pipes were severely damaged by the cowboy antics of Pacific Toyota employees, and to my knowledge were never repaired, which of course exacerbates the flooding problem in Doyle Street.
A councillor who manages to hold a property with such continuance of damage should NOT be allowed on any council, and to this end, the preferential voting system should also be scrapped.
Preferential voting is a scam, invented by lawyers, to help get people such as Blakey across the line in an election, who would normally never be elected to even run a raffle.
The fact that we have Divisions in the area, means just that!
Divided we fall, united we stand, it's a home truth we should always remember, and from what I can see, the councils of Cairns have never been united, and never will be thanks to the Freemasonry code.

CBD Warrior said...

Hey Morgan:John-Dickhead: How is the property owner of any property responsible for what is happening on the publicly-owned street right-of-way?

And if you KNOW who was responsible for the alleged damage, did you report them to the police?

Fact is :Morgan: you're just another windbag.

Sammy Jaye, Freshy said...

Never thought I'd say this but I agree with CBD Warrior ...
Morgan, attack the issue about Blake ... but drainage problems???? What the??!!!

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

Hey there "CBD Warrior", with a fictitious name, yes the police were called...no response...why?
Two words! Pacific Toyota!
You had to be there, OK?
Oh! and yes also, the fire hydrant unit in front of the building was also affected, so too the lawn.
The entire street was affected, due to the collapsed drainage pipes, and from what I've witnessed, still is to this day.
Work it out for yourself fella, or sheila, then go get a life!
People who do not live in the real world, should not have any say about the real world, or is that another non-rule of "CBD Warrior"? If you are a so-called Warrior, why then are the streets of Cairns unsafe? Where are you CBD Warrior? Warrior indeed, more like CBD Wanker!

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

Sammy Faye, for your information, it was councillor Blake who bought the building we are talking about, who also bought the same problem, and as a councillor, did nothing!