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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Friday, 14 May 2004) . . Page.. 2078 ..

candidate centred and not party centred. The ACT has purposely rejected a party with this system of voting in favour of one that specifically elects individual candidates based on merit.

It is also important to note that Independents have always had a role in Australian elections and that, whether you agree with their policies or not, they should not be treated as second-class candidates. Despite the fact that this change could make elections easy to administer, it does privilege some candidates over others. The Democrats will not support making elections less fair and we will not be supporting this clause or the others that remove non-party groups from the ballot.

MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Environment and Minister for Community Affairs) (11.55): This amendment and the following amendment are aimed at removing the main substantive clause that would remove the opportunity for two or more candidates to be grouped together in a non-party group. The bill, as introduced, removes the provisions that allow candidates to form non-party groups on the ballot paper. If this bill is passed as introduced only candidates belonging to registered political parties or ballot groups will be able to be listed in groups on ballet papers. All non-party candidates will be listed in ungrouped columns on the ballot papers.

This change was recommended by the Electoral Commissioner. In making its recommendation to remove non-party groups the Electoral Commission noted that, in the days before political party affiliations were listed on ballot papers, the non-party group was seen as a collection of like-minded candidates campaigning on a common platform. These days a non-party group is arguably just a vehicle for two or more candidates to distinguish themselves on the ballot paper by being listed in a separate column. Candidates in a non-party group are no longer expected to have any connection with each other beyond a desire to be listed in their own column. The government agrees with the Electoral Commission that the ability of candidates to form non-party groups is more likely to confuse than to inform voters. The government will, therefore, oppose this clause.

Question put:

That clause 12 be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the negative.

Clause 12 negatived.

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