North Sydney MP Trent Zimmerman wants shorter pre-poll
Voters are heading to the pre-poll booths in their thousands in North Sydney but its popularity this federal election has raised concerns. Find out what the local MP thinks.
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Voters are heading to the pre-poll booths in their thousands in North Sydney but its popularity this federal election has raised concerns.
About 5500 people have voted already in the North Sydney electorate and more than 10,000 have requested postal votes.
“It means with a week still to go almost 15 per cent of the electorate have voted,” North Sydney MP Trent Zimmerman said.
“I do have some concern with the three weeks pre-poll primarily because it means that some people are voting without seeing the campaign unfold.
“It’s very hard for voters to make an informed decision in those circumstances.”
Mr Zimmerman would like to see pre-poll shortened to two weeks instead of the current three week time frame. This would bring it in line with the standard set in NSW elections.
He pointed out that there is ongoing scrutiny of Labor’s tax plans and debate on the impact of the party’s climate change policies on the economy that many voters will have missed out on.
Mr Zimmerman doesn’t think removing pre-poll altogether would be a good idea as it gives everyone the best possible opportunity to cast their vote. He believes Australians are lucky to have compulsory voting and access to voting through postal votes, pre-poll and overseas embassies.
“It’s a unique feature and a positive feature of the Australian electoral system that we make it easy for people to vote that can’t do it on polling day,” he said.
“It is important that we do maximise the opportunities for people to vote and that makes us a stronger democracy.”
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Independent candidate Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans agreed with shortening the pre-poll but not for the exact same reasons. He doesn’t believe the final weeks of the campaign should sway voters.
“It is very hard for us with so little resources to staff booths for a long time, so actually the long pre-poll favours the major parties,” Dr Chesterfield-Evans said.
“People should have time to think over the years which party they favour ... the last minute grab-bag of pork barrel promises and scares are not what should determine their vote.”
There are pre-poll booths in Chatswood, Crows Nest and Willoughby. The Chatswood centre is in the Old Sydney Water Board Building on Albert Ave, Crows Nest is at 136/146 Willoughby Road and Willoughby is at Club Willoughby, 2 Crabbes Ave. Mosman also has an early voting centre at 686 Military Road.
The Mosman Daily has contacted Labor candidate Brett Stone for comment.
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