NSW to ditch 'one of most undemocratic' voting schemes
City of Sydney voting laws that were seen as a bid to oust Clover Moore, are set to be dropped. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)
Controversial powers criticised for being one of the most undemocratic election systems in Australia are set to be ditched, the NSW government says.
Businesses in the City of Sydney have had twice the voting power of ordinary residents in council elections since 2014.
The laws, which also compel businesses to vote but not residents, were criticised at the time as the second stage of changes to "get Clover" - referring to Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
Cr Moore condemned it as a "conservative push" for the coalition to "get their person into Town Hall".
Whether it was such a push, it didn't work - Cr Moore will mark her 20th year in office in 2023.
And it will soon be no more, with local government minister Ron Hoenig announcing on Wednesday Labor would repeal the disproportionate voting system.
"I remember the debate in 2014 where the coalition asserted 'no taxation without representation'," he said.
"Now if that were the policy enshrined in democratic voting systems, Clive Palmer would have more of a vote than residents in Waterloo."
Political parties, residents and businesses will be consulted before legislation is introduced to make the City of Sydney elections match those in all other councils.
That process would ensure the bill truly reflected the need for Sydney council to be democratically elected, "rather than have a system that is probably one of the most undemocratic systems of any election system in Australia," Mr Hoenig said.
The Opposition said it would consider its position on repealing a law it introduced.
"We thought our legislation in 2014 was fair but we'll look at that," Opposition leader Mark Speakman said.
"It is rich coming from the local government minister who basically ran the one-party city council (as City of Botany Bay mayor)."
Sydney MP Alex Greenwich called on the government to address the matter urgently.
System upgrades for the September 2024 council elections are due to begin in mid-June at a cost of $3 million, he said.
"I hope that in government you will now work to urgently wind back these regressive and unfair laws," he said in a letter to Mr Hoenig.
Australian Associated Press
