Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-13 Daily Xml

Contents

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:19): I have a supplementary question. I thank the minister for his comprehensive answer.

The PRESIDENT: Don't thank him; just ask the question.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: I ask him what does he intend to do if he does agree that voters are entitled to know, as he said, that a candidate is a member of a political party? What does he intend to do about it?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:19): We have had quite a bit of discussion on whether or not members should be members of a political party, and it was part of the discussion paper that was sent out to councils and local government recently. There are some wide-ranging views that people should not be able to stand for elections if they are members of a political party. I personally believe that, if a person is a member of a political party, they should declare it and then it would be up to the people to decide whether or not they want to endorse them. That is as far as we have gone at this stage.