Motion – State’s First Compulsory Voting Council Elections Evaluation
Ms Webb MLC to move that the Legislative Council notes:
- Notes that the Tasmanian Local Government elections held in October 2022 were the first local government elections held in this state in which voting was compulsory;
- Notes the government’s acknowledgement during debate on the Local Government Amendment (Elections) Bill 2022, that:
a) the introduction of compulsory voting for council elections had not been consulted with the local government sector or more broadly prior to the government’s announced intention to introduce legislative reforms to enact it;
b) the rushed parliamentary debate was not ideal, but necessary to enable the voting reforms to be implemented in time for the October local council elections;
c) the tight timeframe between the Act commencing on the 16th of June and the Tasmanian Electoral Commission (TEC) issue on the 3rd of September of the formal notice of election for the local government polls, by which the community had to adjust to the new compulsory voting requirements and any associated ramifications; and further
3. Requests the Minister for Local Government undertakes a comprehensive evaluation review of the implementation of compulsory voting in the 2022 local government elections and any matters arising, that:
a) Provides a public consultation process;
b) Engages with the local government sector, and the broader community;
c) Is separate and additional to the Tasmanian Electoral Commission’s standard procedural Report on Elections;
d) Is adequately resourced; and
e) The final report of which is to be tabled in both Houses of Parliament once the Minister has received and considered its findings.
