House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Local Government Elections Local Government Elections Mr ELLIS House of Assembly Narungga Local Government Elections Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Local Government. Does the minister think that ratepayers should have to pay for a local government election where one doesn't actually occur? Mr Speaker, with your leave, and that of the house, I will explain. Leave granted. Mr ELLIS House of Assembly Narungga Mr ELLIS: The Copper Coast Council only had one nomination for mayor, and fewer nominations for councillors than positions required, yet still received a bill from the Electoral Commission for $35,000 for an election that didn't occur. Included in that bill was an amount for printing ballot papers, postal ballot return and costs for a deputy returning officer. Should the ratepayers have to foot the bill? The Hon. G.G. BROCK House of Assembly Stuart Minister for Local Government Minister for Regional Roads Minister for Veterans Affairs The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Roads, Minister for Veterans Affairs) (14:43): I thank the member for Narungga for his question. The Electoral Commission of South Australia ran the elections across all of South Australia. That is the first I have heard of that issue, so I am happy to talk to the member for Narungga and have a bit more investigation of it. Certainly, local governments across all of South Australia were run by the Electoral Commission of South Australia independently of the government, but I am happy to have a chat to the member for Narungga to get more information.