Councils could end up being led by mayors who have been overwhelmingly rejected at the ballot box under Labor’s new electoral laws, the LNP has warned.
Member for Scenic Rim Jon Krause said the Electoral Amendment Bill passed by the Palaszczuk Labor Government was an affront to democracy in local government across the entire State of Queensland.
“These are disgraceful changes which show absolute contempt for voters – the people of Queensland – and their right to choose their civic leaders. The new law means that if an elected Mayor resigns or vacates the job in their first 12 months, they will be replaced by the runner-up,” Mr Krause said.
“This could mean someone who received over 70 per cent of residents’ votes – as happened in Toowoomba – being replaced by someone who may have received less than 20 per cent and who does not reflect the voting intentions of residents at all.”
“Locally, Logan City is an example of where these provisions will give an outcome that is disrespectful to voters. The mayor there received 36% of the vote and the next best was 19%. It is hard to see the democracy in a system which would result in the runner up, with only 19% of the vote, becoming Mayor.”
“This so-called electoral reform has rightly been slammed by council leaders as un-democratic.”
Under the previous legislation, mayoral vacancies were filled by by-elections.
Mr Krause said the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s Bill had been rammed through Parliament, with MPs given insufficient time to consider 229 late amendments – provided to MPs at 9pm the night before being introduced.
“After Labor changed the voting system to compulsory preferences in 2016, with only 18 minutes notice, and other changes that give basically a financial gerrymander to Labor and the unions, it is clear that this Labor Government is continuing to use its numbers in Parliament to rig Queensland’s electoral system,” Mr Krause said.
“Queenslanders simply cannot trust the Palaszczuk Labor Government – not with our finances, not with our health system or roads, and certainly not with protecting democracy in our local governments.”