My Preferences

OK,

preferences....

I have had a few people ask me what will my preferences be, and will  I be telling/asking/advising people how to vote at this election.

To which the short answer is no....

I can't honestly do this as a true independent.

The reason for me not declaring preferences isn't as obvious as it may appear. I have made up my mind about how I will personally cast preferential votes at the local election on 8 September 2012, but I don't wish to provide information about How to Vote in the classic sense.

This is for three reasons:

1) COST
 There is obviously a cost issue to printing flyers and distributing them at every polling booth etc.
And whilst I don't like unnecessary costs, and it is even more abhorrent to me beucase it is such a 'use once' product. It just doesn't sit well with me.

Plus, once incurred, I would have heaps of paper work to fill in with regard to the election funding authority, whether voted in or not. So my strategy is to campaign electronically, at my own time (and therefore without financial cost).

2) THE RULES
Once printed, a How to Vote flyer must obey many rules imposed by the NSW Electoral commission, including being registered.
I think these rules are wise but technology has made them redundant - because if I distribute my information electronically, via a blog or an email with an attachment etc, then the rules wouldn't apply - obviously not the intent...A word of warning though - these rules would apply (repeat, would apply) once this info is printed, but to the person printing them.....not to me. Hence I am encouraging everyone not to print my info :)

3) I AM AN INDEPENDENT
 Being an independent candidate is difficult at the best of times, no money, no party support, noone else invovled to help me out, etc etc. Boohoo...

But if I did declare my preferences, something strange would happen - I would inevitably then be linked to those other candidates' general philosophies/histories/track records no matter how good, bad or otherwise those candidates reputations might be perceived by the voters....

The association, once made,  will inevitably stick.


Which I don't want to do.

I am quite clearly and proudly an independent - my decisions and my votes are entirely up to how I perceeve the situation - not how someone else tells me to vote (like every party representative) or 'group of like minded people'...

HOWEVER - isn't there always one?
I would encourage people to think about the following when casting their votes:

As a true independent I am not aligning with any other candidates.
Of course I will be casting my own vote with preferences, but I would encourage my supporters to simply Vote 1 Ivan McKay and then follow their own inclination based on existing issues that are important to them.
I would however encourage others to consider these principles when trying to choose their preferences:

•To promote change in our council we have to change the council - Vote 1 Ivan McKay and then place subsequent numbers (at least 2-5) against the names of new candidates;
•To encourage gender and age balance we need younger councellors and more women - Vote 1 Ivan McKay for a younger, more energetic council. Then place subsequent numbers (at least 2-5) against female candidates names to ensure that we don't have a council full of old men.

• Our council is clearly struggling with the day to day management of core council activities (legislative  and community demands) let alone planning for our future.
• Some councillors have been elected for almost a decade and they still can't seem to put aside petty differences for the greater good or have the capacity to cope with council demands.
Shouldn't we expect more from the people whom want to represent us? Vote 1 Ivan McKay to make it better!

• Isn't the purpose of being a councillor to be representative of the community, not just to be on council?
• How many existing councillors have demonstrable broad community interests? Most councillors and candidates are oriented in only one primary interest area: business, sport, agriculture/farming, the environment or disadvantaged groups....
shouldn't we expect more diversity, capabiltiy and complexity in the people seeking to represent all of us? I do - Get real, get local, vote for someone who cares about the interests of the whole community, not just those they are personally interested in. Vote 1 Ivan McKay to bring the whole community back into the council.

• Our council has a perceived history of being secretive, inconsistent and failing to recognise that due process is there to protect and represent the majority of our community, not as an inconvenience for the influential minority to overcome.
Is this really how you want your local community managed? I don't.  I want our council to be open, transparent and representative of the community, not the interests of large developers or the philosophies of national party machines. I expect more from our local councillors. Vote 1 Ivan McKay for a better council.

•We need more disciplines and experience on the council - there are too many lawyers and too many farmers. I am not a lawyer or a farmer, Vote 1 Ivan McKay then place subsequent votes (at least 2-5) against those candidates that are not farmers or lawyers.

cheers
Ivan