In each edition we feature the views of a Local Government Association president. The following is from Mayor Felicty-ann Lewis, President of the Local Government Association of South Australia.
It is perhaps ironic that we are, on one hand a proud democracy but on the other, most of us tend to tire of elections rapidly.
South Australia has just concluded the third set of elections in eight months.
One ‘wag’ suggested the only benefit of this is that we now have a three year window with no elections. This assumes of course that our minority Federal Government survives any by-elections that may arise!
Council elections were concluded in SA in early November, the result of a voluntary voting system using full postal voting.
Australia’s history of compulsory voting in State and Federal elections creates a quite different perspective on voluntary voting than in most of the rest of the world.
Our 2010 Council elections resulted in a 32 per cent turnout. Not as high as I would like to see but just higher than our 2006 turnout – probably a good result in the face of ‘voter fatigue.’
In this Year of Women in Local Government it was also good to see the percentage of women elected again on the rise, taking 27.22 per cent of positions.
Our councils are now in place, getting on with their business and absorbing Local Government Association support for induction programs, in training courses and in a new online training option.
These issues focus attention again on the differences in legislation between States and Territories in relation to Local Government. Different terms of office, different electoral systems, some compulsory some voluntary, and with many other elements that divide us. It is even a challenge to find out the differences that apply to Council elections in each jurisdiction.
Elections provide an important time for soul searching, for talking with electors and being tested in competition.
Having watched two and participated in a third election in the past eight months I am even more convinced that we should be making civics and citizenship education compulsory in our schools.
I am also convinced that updating the Australian Constitution to remove doubt about the ability for the Commonwealth to directly fund communities through councils will lead to a greater focus on national best practice.
