Voters Deserve Transparency

Kingborough Chronicle | 13 September 2022

Voters deserve to know if Local Government candidates are members of a political party, regardless of whether the candidate has the endorsement or backing of the political party, says State Independent Member for Nelson, Meg Webb MLC.

Ms Webb said while she welcomed the community’s appetite for independent representatives, the word ‘independent’ carries “a clear
connotation of being non-party aligned”.

“Candidates appropriating that label while clearly being connected to a political party could be seen as misleading to voters,” said Ms Webb.

“This issue is another example of our state’s opaque truth in political advertising rules, of which there is no mention in the Local Government Act “Voters deserve to know who they’re voting for, where they stand on issues of importance, and if they are members of a political party, regardless of whether they are running with the endorsement or backing of their party.”

The Kingborough Chronicle has been informed by the Tasmanian Electoral Commission that election advertising material is “not within” the Commission’s “jurisdiction”.

In relation to material that has the capacity to mislead an elector, Section 197 of the Electoral Act 2004 (Tas) Misleading and deceptive
electoral matter, states “a person must not:

•  print, publish or distribute, or permit or authorise the printing, publishing or distribution of, any printed electoral matter that is intended to, is likely to or has the capacity to mislead or deceive an elector in or in relation to the recording of his or her vote; or
• publish on the internet, or permit or authorise the publishing on the internet of, any electoral matter that is intended to, is likely to or has the capacity to mislead or deceive an elector in or in relation to the recording of his or her vote; or
• broadcast on radio or television, or permit or authorise the broadcasting on radio or television of, any electoral matter that is intended to, is likely to or has the capacity to mislead or deceive an elector in or in relation to the recording of his or her vote.”

See more of Meg in the media.