Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Local Government Elections LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS The Hon. S.G. WADE Legislative Council LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question relating to the local government elections for 2010. Leave granted. The Hon. S.G. WADE Legislative Council The Hon. S.G. WADE: On 1 November 2010, The Advertiser reported that almost 200,000 businesses and landlords had been struck off the voters roll for the 2010 local government elections. Across the state, the business and landlord roll fell by 90 per cent. The fall was higher in the metropolitan area. The Holdfast Bay roll fell 99 per cent, from 6,272 electors to 48. At the general meeting of the Local Government Association held on 29 April 2011, the following resolution was passed: That the Local Government Association approach the State Government to seek a review and changes to the Local Government Voters Roll to restore the automatic entitlement of all property owners with the Local Government Elections Voters Roll. That the review include the provision of registered business owners on the Voters Roll and the right for those registered business owners to be retained on the Roll, unless advised otherwise. My questions are: 1.	Does the government support the restoration of automatic enrolment of property owners on the local government voters roll? 2.	Will the minister assure the council that the government's support for this proposal will not be withheld to bolster nominal voter participation in light of the state government's Strategic Plan goal to increase voter participation from 31 per cent in 2006 to 50 per cent by 2014? The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:29): After each election, the department reviews the voter turnout and participation, and it was no different for the 2010— The Hon. G.E. Gago interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY Legislative Council The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: This is the second day we have had the minister trying to answer and the leader talking over the top of him. We cannot hear the answer. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wortley. The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Thank you, Mr President. After each election, the government does look at the voter turnout and voter participation, and that is currently happening now. We are working with the Local Government Association and, as soon as the appropriate information comes to order, we will advise the opposition.