Tomorrow Canberrans will vote in the third election since self-government in 1989. Canberrans will vote for 17 Members of the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly has wide powers to make laws for the Act and to administer those laws. It has both state and local-government functions and therefore can affect people’s lives more profoundly than a state parliament or a local council. It is important, therefore, that Canberrans and others who live in the ACT cast their vote in an informed way. To that end The Canberra Times is publishing this eight-page guide to the election. It contains both the essentials and a more detailed looked at the election.
There is a guide to the Hare-Clark system, the for and against case for the referendum on the electoral system, a look at the policies of the major parties and leading minors and independents by Canberra Times journalists who have followed the issues over the campaign. There is also a potted form guide of the candidates and a history of self-government. At present the Assembly comprises eight Labor, six Liberal, two Moore Independents and one Abolish Self-Government MLA.
Labor heads a minority Government under Chief Minister Rosemary Follett. The Abolish Self-Government MLA, Dennis Stevenson, is not running as a candidate, but he wrote the official No case for the referendum, as the only MLA opposing it. Both major parties, the two Moore Independents and the Greens support the Yes case. Voters must not use ticks or crosses for the referendum or for the election for Members. Voters must write Yes or No and number preferences _ at least 1 to 5 in Ginninderra and Brindabella and 1 to 7 in Molonglo, and then number as many further preferences as they want.
Opinion polling suggests tight contests for the last seat in each electorate and that the preferences flowing from the major parties will be crucial in determining which minor parties or independents get in. To have a full say in the make up of the new Assembly major-party voters should vote at least two or three preferences beyond their major party. There is no need to stay within party columns. Voters can move from a candidate in one column to a candidate in another and back. A description of how Robson rotation works is in the longer article on the mechanics of Hare Clark inside the guide. The two major parties have both cited health and economic management as major issues.
The Labor Government cites the ACT’s triple A credit rating as evidence of good management. The Liberals say Labor has a program of spending which will send the ACT into debt. On health, the Government says the Liberals intend to cut up to $30 million out of the health Budget. The Liberals says the ACT is over-spending in health and with an efficient redirection of funding from administration and overheads to medical care and the use of case-mix funding, about $25 million in savings can be made. Opinion polls put the parties at fairly level pegging with a very high undecided vote. The like result is seven Labor, six or seven Liberal and three or four minors or independents _ all or some of Moore independents, Greens or Paul Osborne.