Perth Voice Interactive

Council polls close 6pm Saturday October 19 but voters in Voiceland are hardly rushing to have their say in a year that’s also seen both a state and federal election.

As the Voice went to press, Perth city council’s turnout was 28 per cent, Bayswater’s was a dismal 21-odd, Stirling’s around 24 and Vincent just north of 30 per cent.

The average across all electorates is 24 per cent, one of the lowest turnouts in recent years according to the WA electoral commission.

Vincent candidate Vinnie Molina hails from Guatemala and recalls the days when a military dictatorship controlled elections: “It surprises me here that people do have that right [to vote] but they don’t choose to exercise it,” the Australian Communist Party leader says. “Australians are so laid back, they say ‘do it tomorrow, put it on the fridge’. There’s a saying that Aussies used to be apathetic, now they don’t give a shit. We are a laid-back people but these council elections deserve more electors to vote considering half of WA’s councils are on the chopping block to be carved up.”

Mr Molina says people are fixated on federal politics but local government has the most direct impact on their lives.

“Tony Abbott will never collect your rubbish. Julie Bishop won’t fix border disputes with your fence line and the minister for national parks won’t get your footy field or cricket patch ready.”

by DAVID BELL