LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:17): I would like to thank you, Mr President, for that comprehensive answer to that question that I had asked earlier. I now seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question about transparency in local government elections.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: At the 2010 Local Government Association AGM a resolution was passed calling for an amendment to the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 that would require candidates for local government elections to declare their membership of political parties. In February last year I asked the then minister for state/local government relations whether he intended to act on that recommendation. The minister stated that the government was reviewing public integrity structures and it would be considered as part of that process.

On 16 October this year, a draft code of conduct for council members was circulated for comment. This was prepared by the LGA in consultation with the Office of State/Local Government Relations. Disappointingly, it did not contain any discussion on transparency over the political party affiliations of council members.

As members here are aware, there is a live debate in the community over the influence of political parties over ostensibly independent council members, for example, ongoing concerns raised again in July this year about the influence of the member for Croydon over the Labor-affiliated members of the Charles Sturt council. Many in the community are disappointed when so-called independent members of local government turn out to be card-carrying members of political parties. This information should be available to voters before they cast their vote. My questions to the minister are:

1. Have you ever discussed with the LGA the issue of declaring political party affiliation as part of the conduct of local government elections?

2. Do you think voters are entitled to know whether a candidate for local government is a member of a political party or not?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:19): I thank the member for his questions, and my answer is yes to both questions.