Federal rounds
24-May-2010
Written by: John Cobb, MP -
This weeks Federal Rounds follows national enrol to vote week which encourages young people, in their final years of school, to register themselves to vote through the Australian Electoral Commission. The AEC have been working directly with schools and universities throughout the electorate to simplify the process of registering and participating in the electoral process. Considering our current situation in the electoral cycle now is a very good time to enrol.
In the next 12 months both the State and Federal Parliaments will go to the polls. Both elections are shaping up as being close contests and both will have a major impact on life from 2011 and beyond. In Federal Parliament the fallout continues from Wayne Swan’s budget and the threat of job losses around our region due to Labor’s big new tax on mining is strong. Kevin Rudd can call an election at any time, increasing the importance of registering to vote sooner, rather than later.
As it stands 18 year olds are amongst the most under-represented age groups in the voting population. The AEC and their schools program helps around 16, 000 eligible students to vote each year. However, one thing many young people would be unaware of is that they don’t have to wait until 18 to register their names. The AEC allows 17 year olds to enrol so that they are immediately eligible to vote when their 18th birthday rolls around.
Something else to think about before we head into what will be a busy period election wise is updating your details on the electoral role. Hundreds of people around the region will be registered in a different address to the one they are currently living at. With the changes made to the Federal electoral boundaries, updating this information may decide which electorate you vote in and therefore who represents you for the next three years.
If anyone is wishing to update their details or enrol to vote can do so by picking up an enrolment form from any Australia Post outlet or by calling into my office in Orange. The AEC website (www.aec.gov.au) has all the information needed to change details as well as answers to any questions you may have about the process.
As Australians, voting is one of our most treasured rights, but it is also a responsibility. Currently around the world there is bloodshed on the streets of countries as people fight to gain the same power voters in Calare have. In the next 12 months, some big decisions have to be made and now is your chance to have a say.
