House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-05 Daily Xml

Contents

ADELAIDE CITY COUNCIL VOTING

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:47): My questions are to the Attorney-General. Is the government introducing legislation to expand the electoral roll to allow people who work in the Adelaide City Council area a right to vote in that council's elections? Has the matter been through cabinet and the caucus room? What are his motives in relation to the matter?

On 17 October last year the SDA Employees Association called for an expansion of the electoral roll for the Adelaide City Council to include city workers. The Attorney's factional opponents have advised the opposition that he has set wheels in motion to change the voting rights of the city council as part of a long-term plan to block his old enemy Ralph Clarke from making his run as lord mayor.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:48): The statement was a joint statement of the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association and Business SA. The member for Bragg was careful to deliberately omit Business SA from her question. The answer is: no wheels are in motion.