A joint standing committee of NSW Parliament has recommended several measures to limit the influence of money on the outcomes of local council elections.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The committee proposed expenditure caps based on the number of enrolled voters in the electorate, and stated the caps should apply equally to candidates, or a group of candidates, whether they are endorsed by a party or are independent.
Under the proposed changes, in the Orange Local Government Area – which had just shy of 30,000 enrolled voters at last year’s election – a cap of $25,000 would apply to general council candidates.
Elections should be a battle of competing visions and ideas, not competing bank balances.
The committee also suggested expenditure caps for mayoral candidates in undivided LGAs like Orange, which would see those vying for the city’s top job allowed to spend an additional 25 per cent of the cap, or another $6250.
The committee was appointed to make recommendations in the wake of the 2020 general local government council elections in the state.
“Elections should be a battle of competing visions and ideas, not competing bank balances,” the committee noted in its report.
“The current model for calculating expenditure caps for candidates in local government election campaigns is inadequate.
“The caps invariably lead to large discrepancies in local government areas in the state.”
The committee recommended population figures of enrolled electors in a ward or undivided local government areas should be taken 12 months prior to the election for the purpose of calculating expenditure caps.
Bathurst Councillor Monica Morse said expenditure capping is a good idea as television advertisements, which are expensive, can reach more people and influence the outcomes of the elections.
However she added that while that “may be the case in areas such as Sydney”, candidates don’t spend anywhere near that amount in regional campaigns.
“My experience has been that a candidate won’t spend anything like that amount of money,” Cr Morse said.
WHERE THE BUCKS COULD STOP ...
Suggested cap amounts for local government areas:
- $6000 where the number of enrolled electors is smaller than 5001.
- $10,000 for between 5000-10,000 electors.
- $18,000 for between 10,000-20,000 electors.
- $25,000 for between 20,000-30,000 electors.
- $36,000 for between 30,000-50,000 electors.
- $46,000 for between 50,000-75,000 electors.
- $63,000 for between 75,000-125,000 electors.
- $72,000 for more than 125,000 electors.
DO YOU WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below …