It has been a morning of delays as candidates for local council elections have been waiting across the state for the draw to determine their position on the ballot paper.
Ian Smith is the Returning Officer who was in charge of the draw for Ballina and Byron Shire council elections and said that owing to a new way that the electoral draw was being done a technical glitch had delayed the draw.
Ballina Mayor
However, by around 11.30am it appeared they were able to get underway and Ballina Shire Mayor was the first draw off the block which saw Labor’s Keith Williams take first position on the ballot. This was followed by Jeff Johnson, Independent; Steve McCarthy, Independent; Eoin Johnston, Independent followed by the only female Mayoral candidate Sharon Cadwallader.
‘We are really working as a team,’ Sharon told The Echo.
‘I don’t think there should be party politics in council.’
Her running partner Eva Ramsey who is running for councillor in B Ward agreed saying that ‘councillors should be on council to make decisions on behalf of the community not political party decisions.’
Ward A
The ballot order for ward A is:
Rick Hyde, Independent; Phil Meehan, Independent; Lenkunyar Roberts, Independent; Rod Bruem, Independent; Simon Kinny, Independent; Steve McCarthy, Independent; John Bout, Independent; Col Riches, Labor; Jason Shrieves, Greens; and Kevin Loughrey, Independent.
‘There are a lot if independents which presents a challenge to the voters on how to work out what each of them represents,’ Col Riches told The Echo. ‘The question voters need to ask themselves is, is the candidate progressive or conservative. What are they values that they are standing for?’
Ward B
The ballot order for ward B is:
Keith Williams, Labor struck lucky twice and also ended up first on the ballot for his ward. Second on the list was Wendy Wishart, Independent; followed by Sharon Cadwaller, Independent; Jeff Johnson, Independent; Eva Ramsey, Independent; Leonie Price, Labor; and Kiri Dicker, Greens.
Ward C
The ballot order for ward C is:
Simon Chate for the Greens took out first position for Ward C followed by Nigel Buchanan, Independent; Eoin Johnston, Independent; Stephen Bocking, Independent; and finally Therese Crollick, Labor.
‘Only five out of the 19 candidates are women which is a disappointment,’ said Ms Crollick.
‘I think it is really important that women encourage each other to run. It doesn’t matter what side of politics women come from people who hold important positions in community organisations should be empowering women to stand up for these roles.’
