How-to-vote cards will not be distributed in postal voting packs in the lead-up to this year’s council elections.
Opposition local government spokesman David Davis said a disallowance motion, which succeeded in getting through State Parliament last week, meant dummy candidates, who run just to harvest votes and preference them to a lead candidate, now face bigger obstacles.
“They will have to distribute their own material on the internet, by advertisements or by letterbox,” Mr Davis said. “VEC electoral officials should not be distributing how to vote cards. That should be a matter for candidates.”
Mr Davis said the aim is to discourage candidates not genuinely seeking election.
It came just weeks after Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Bernie Finn called on the local government minister to watch Wyndham council elections. He believes particular candidates will run dummies in a bid to control the council.
But Local Government Minister, Natalie Hutchins labelled the postal information change as “nothing more than a stunt” that will increase the level of informal voting. “The Liberals could have made this change when they were in government, but failed to act,” she said.
So far, there are 59 candidates for 11 vacancies at the October 22 poll for Wyndham council.
Adem Saban
