❓ Mr. Love questions the need for AEC personnel assistance given the appointment of Acting Electoral Commissioners and raises concerns about costs associated with staffing and payments to returning officers. The Minister expresses confidence in the WA Electoral Commission and highlights the special inquiry addressing existing issues.
AnsweredQoN 284Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Local government elections284.Mr Shane Loveto
theMinister for Electoral Affairs:I refer to the
minister's brief ministerial statement today.(1) Is the employment of senior Australian
Electoral Commission (AEC) personnel an admission that the public servants
appointed as Acting Electoral Commissioner and Acting Deputy Electoral
Commissioner lack the experience to effectively lead the Western Australian
Electoral Commission?(2) Are these senior AEC officers being paid on
top of the $86 million staffing tender to PersolKelly?(3) Is it correct that additional and significant
payments were made as recently as last week to returning officers who
officiated at the last state election?
theMinister for Electoral Affairs:I refer to the
minister's brief ministerial statement today.(1) Is the employment of senior Australian
Electoral Commission (AEC) personnel an admission that the public servants
appointed as Acting Electoral Commissioner and Acting Deputy Electoral
Commissioner lack the experience to effectively lead the Western Australian
Electoral Commission?(2) Are these senior AEC officers being paid on
top of the $86 million staffing tender to PersolKelly?(3) Is it correct that additional and significant
payments were made as recently as last week to returning officers who
officiated at the last state election?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 June 2025
Response time
0 days
Mr David Michael replied:(1)–(3) I
thank the member for the question. As I said this morning, I have a lot of
confidence in the WesternAustralian Electoral Commission to deliver the
local government elections in a timely fashion, and efficiently and accurately,
in October later this year. We know there have been some issues with the
Electoral Commission, and that is because we had terms of reference for a
special inquiry. We consulted the opposition on that, and I thank both
opposition parties for agreeing to change some of those terms of reference as
we had that inquiry. The Electoral Commissioner has gone on leave until the end
of the year and the Deputy Electoral Commissioner is going on leave until the
end of the year. We had consultation, as required under the act, and we asked two
senior public servants to come and help us out in the commission until the end
of the year.There are some things they will
look at. One will be to wrap up anything to do with the state election that is
still current, including responding to recommendations that will come out of
the special inquiry. We will very much make sure that we can run an efficient
and accurate local government election for the people of Western Australia and
the local government sector. It is very important. I am a former councillor of
the City of Stirling and I won three elections there. Hopefully, it can have a
very accurate election. The Acting Electoral Commissioner, as Electoral
Commissioners do, talks to other Electoral Commissioners around Australia under
the national secondment agreement. Under that agreement, I believe two staff
from the AEC will come to assist us to run the local government election, just
to bring some experience in to help us out, as we have some key staff on leave.
I note again that there have been some issues with the Electoral Commission and
I am sure that will come out in the special inquiry. That is a reason we are
having a special inquiry. That is where we are at. I am committed. The Acting
Electoral Commissioner continues to work with the Department of Local
Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and local governments around our
state to run that election as efficiently as we can.
Local government elections
thank the member for the question. As I said this morning, I have a lot of
confidence in the WesternAustralian Electoral Commission to deliver the
local government elections in a timely fashion, and efficiently and accurately,
in October later this year. We know there have been some issues with the
Electoral Commission, and that is because we had terms of reference for a
special inquiry. We consulted the opposition on that, and I thank both
opposition parties for agreeing to change some of those terms of reference as
we had that inquiry. The Electoral Commissioner has gone on leave until the end
of the year and the Deputy Electoral Commissioner is going on leave until the
end of the year. We had consultation, as required under the act, and we asked two
senior public servants to come and help us out in the commission until the end
of the year.There are some things they will
look at. One will be to wrap up anything to do with the state election that is
still current, including responding to recommendations that will come out of
the special inquiry. We will very much make sure that we can run an efficient
and accurate local government election for the people of Western Australia and
the local government sector. It is very important. I am a former councillor of
the City of Stirling and I won three elections there. Hopefully, it can have a
very accurate election. The Acting Electoral Commissioner, as Electoral
Commissioners do, talks to other Electoral Commissioners around Australia under
the national secondment agreement. Under that agreement, I believe two staff
from the AEC will come to assist us to run the local government election, just
to bring some experience in to help us out, as we have some key staff on leave.
I note again that there have been some issues with the Electoral Commission and
I am sure that will come out in the special inquiry. That is a reason we are
having a special inquiry. That is where we are at. I am committed. The Acting
Electoral Commissioner continues to work with the Department of Local
Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and local governments around our
state to run that election as efficiently as we can.
Local government elections
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