TO DENY BY-ELECTIONS IS SIMPLY UNDEMOCRATIC

THE soon-to-be installed Labor state government must, as a priority, undo the laughable changes made to Queensland’s electoral laws that would see someone who came second at an election handed a spot on council if the vacancy comes up less than a year since ratepayers headed to the polls.

If a newly installed state or federal MP suddenly keeled over those governments would head straight to a byelection, so why shouldn’t this right be afforded to local governments and the voters impacted?

On the alignment scale, local government elections can be squarely classified under “chaotic good” for the colourful candidates those campaigns can throw up.

As it stands, Townsville City Council is the only council in the entire state that will be disadvantaged by the current “runner-up” provisions in the aftermath of the state election.

The LNP’S Whitsunday candidate, Amanda Camm, was a deputy mayor in Mackay but was preselected early enough that she did not contest the March local government elections.

Les Walker (who is currently sitting on 53.6 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in the race for Mundingburra) secured 64 per cent of the primary vote at the March council election.

In effect, nearly two out of every three of the 9000 voters in Division 10 picked him as their first choice.

Those same voters cannot be denied an opportunity to now decide who they believe is the best fit to succeed Mr Walker.

And those residents in Division 10 who believe they could do a good job representing their community cannot be denied the ability to have a tilt.

Yes, it will cost money, but to deny a by-election is undemocratic.

But there is a clock-running, two months from when Mr Walker is declared in Mundingburra to be precise, for the state government to act and roll back those provisions that they are responsible for installing in the first place.

The Local Government Minister, whomever that may be, needs to get their policy wonks straight to work to draft legislation.

The minister should also, as the LGAQ has suggested, grant the council amnesty on the two-month deadline so they won’t be disadvantaged as they wait for the promised changes to be made.