Record-low voter turnout, cuts to funding and now a major bungling of developing new electorate boundaries should lead to a “big shake-up” of the NT Electoral Commission, an independent MLA says, who is calling for an independent inquiry into the agency.
The NTEC admitted on Friday that it had failed to follow the proper legal requirements of its electoral boundary redistribution process and would have to start it over again, which will delay the final report that is usually completed 12 months out from the next election.
Wasting time on a Saturday to tick boxes under names that mean nothing and for roles that mean nothing (DCC councillors) is an intelligence test. Especially when it is clear the NTEC wastes taxpayer money sending out ‘fines’ that they don’t have the time or resources to enforce.
It’s more than a little sad that the only motivating factor to participate in ‘democracy’ is when those in power absolutely must be removed, even though the opposition will, in all probability, perform no better.