Record Field Faces Voters

Newcastle Herald

Thursday September 11, 2008

GR

HUNTER voters face a tough

choice when they go to the polls

this Saturday, with a record field of

more than 350 candidates vying for

seats on the regions local councils.

The surge in candidates has been

attributed to State Government

electoral reforms, which place

political groupings to the left-hand

side of the ballot paper, and independents

on the right.

As a result, more independents

than ever are running tickets

filled by candidates with little

or no chance of being elected on

votes for the grouping as a whole.

Many Hunter councils, particularly

in the Upper Hunter, are

dominated by independent candidates,

who are campaigning on

local issues.

Despite traditionally strong

representation by Labor on

Hunter councils, just one

local mayor, Cessnocks John

Clarence, was elected on an ALP

ticket at the 2004 elections.

Of interest will be the emergence

of the Hunter Liberals,

who are running candidates in

Newcastle, Lake Macquarie,

Maitland and Cessnock.

In Newcastle, sitting Lord

Mayor John Tate faces a strong

challenge for the citys top job.

Seven candidates, including

five sitting councillors, are challenging

Cr Tate as Lord Mayor,

placing much of the focus of the

campaign on his leadership during

the last council term.

A preference deal between

outspoken independent councillor

Aaron Buman and the ALP

could mean Labors Marilyn

Eade or Cr Buman provides a

serious challenge to Cr Tate,

who has been Lord Mayor for

two terms.

The NSW Electoral

Commission will conduct elections

in 148 council areas across

the state on Saturday, involving

an expected 4.5 million voters

and about 5000 candidates.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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