NSW Council Elections

NSW Council Elections are being held in most New South Wales (State) Local Government areas today. However, if you live in Wollongong, (and I believe Shellharbour, and Coffs Harbour - don't take my word for these latter ones, but in Wollongong it is certainly the case) then you cannot vote today. That is because your previous Council was sacked by the NSW Government for corrupt behaviour and/or incompetence.

Why should that decision (to sack a Council) disenfranchise the community - for another 4 years?

Anyway, in happy little Wingecarribee Shire, our Council escaped the verdict of incompetence or corruption (because Sydney had bigger fish to fry), and our Council survived to the bitter end of its life. So today we got to vote for a new Council.

At least the weather was nice, this morning in Robertson, when I lined up to take the "How to Vote" cards from the hander-outerers at the front gate of the Robertson School of Arts.

And who did I vote for?
We have secret ballots, fortunately. But I will tell you who I did NOT vote for.

• Malcolm Murray and his team.
• Duncan Gair and his team.
• May King and her team, and the
• Liberal Party team.

And I voted No and No on the so-called Poll regarding the Leisure Centre.

Geraldine Turner (of the Save the Highlands team), Larry Whipper, Jim Clark and the Greens team, Graham McLaughlin and the Labor Team, Jim Mauger and his team, and Ken Halstead can all take some comfort from that information. As an individual voter I can only choose my preferences, but if there are not enough voters of like minds to get a particular candidate over the "Quota" line, then sorry, but I have done my best.

I only have a single vote, after all.

If you do not like that situation, then perhaps you ought talk to a local political wheeler and dealer (a particularly lucky boy). He might possibly have some ideas as how to overcome that hurdle. Personally, I am content to stick with the old "One Vote, One Value" concept.

We shall see over the ensuing days who has been elected, and whether the Leisure Centre has been rejected in the Poll.

The Southern Highlands News has done an excellent job of covering the Election Candidates opinions on a range of subjects. However, they have let themselves down with this last minute word of advice: "Dismiss the theatrics of the past few weeks, disregard your loyalties, and vote with your head!" That is a cop out, in my opinion. We have many candidates who were Councillors last time who frankly do not deserve to be re-elected.