Advice from the Returning Officer

I have now had advice from the Returning Officer for Vincent that ballot papers that use only a cross (for one or two candidates - each elector can vote for one or two candidates, as there are two vacancies in the South Ward) will be accepted, but that where a cross is used for one and a tick for the other, the vote with a cross will be declared invalid. The vote with a tick will be accepted as valid.

My Mistake

The previous post on this blog originally contained an error, which has now been corrected (see below). I take full responsibility for this error and can only hope that those of you who have already voted followed the instructions in the voting package from the Electoral Commission. I will be seeking advice about what the implications of anyone having voted with a cross might be.

The advert to the right will appear in the Perth Voice for Saturday 3 October.

Time Flies

It hardly seems four years since I last stood for re-election, but my calendar assures me it is.
The Electoral Commission today (Wednesday, 23 September) started mailing out ballot papers to those on the electoral roll. If you think you are on the electoral roll but have not received your ballot papers by, say, Friday 2 October, you should contact the WA Electoral Commission on (08) 9214 0400 to, first, check that you are on the electoral roll for Vincent (or you can check your enrolment on-line at https://www.waec.wa.gov.au/check_enrolment/index.php). If you are on the roll, you can ask for replacement voting papers from the Town of Vincent (Phone 9273 6000).

My thanks to those of you who voted for me in 2005. I hope you are able to do so again.

For all of you, including those voting for the first time in this local government election, I urge you to be informed and to make use of your vote.

To help you be informed, here is an electronic copy of my election leaflet - just click on the images for a larger, more readable version. For more information, you can scroll down this blog or e-mail me at ian_ker@hotmail.com.

When I originally posted this blog, the leaflet contained an error, showing a cross instead of a tick in the voting part. I have now corrected this.



Unlike other election fliers I have seen so far, this is not simply a list of vague statements or aspirations but a coherent history of achievements and a logical basis for moving into the future.

And just one reminder: voting closes at 6.00pm on Saturday 17 October but postal ballots have to be received by close of business on Friday 16 October. If you think you might be late, you can still bring your completed voting package to the Town of Vincent Administration Centre, 244 Vincent Street (cnr Loftus Street) up to 6pm on Saturday 17 October.

Help Me To Help You (and others)

It occurred to me as I was writing the previous post, that 'someone should do something'.

As an elected Councillor, I have a responsibility be that someone!

SO, if you see or know of a public utility installation in the Town of Vincent that is causing a problem, especially if it has been doing so for more than a few days, let me know (e-mail: ian_ker@hotmail.com - photo would be great, but not essential) and I will ask Town of Vincent staff to follow up with the offending agency.

For any that are not cleared up in a reasonable time, I will 'name and shame' here and also pass on to interested local newspapers.

Let's take some community action to reclaim our streets - and also to get some decent service from those no-longer-quite-so-public utilities.

On Public (Dis)Utilities…

It's amazing how often so-called public utilities make life hazardous for the people of Perth.

For some months recently, Western Power had various large holes in the footpath on William Street outside Hyde Park Court, forcing people either to walk in the road (this photograph was completely unstaged!) or to cross busy William Street twice - at least once without the benefit of any traffic control. Repeated representations by Town of Vincent staff did eventually get this fixed, but Western Power never did explain why it thought it acceptable to inconvenience the public for so long.

My wife did ask one of the workers who were there one day (most days there was no one there doing anything) and was told that a major problem had been found that required some specialised attention. But that still doesn't explain why Western Power doesn't adopt the practice of most other places where a temporary cover (often a steel sheet or timber platform) would be placed over the hole, so that pedestrian access could be maintained.

And then there are the Telstra yellow fences, which surely must be the Perth equivalent of the UK's red traffic cones even though not quite so fecund. I note, though, from the above picture, that Western Power knows all about traffic cones!

The Perth Voice recently ran an article with a photograph of John Hyde and one of the offending fences.

I am sure those who read this article will be sad to hear that the fence with which John had a photographic relationship (which had resided outside my home for nearly 12 months) has disappeared. Not, however, because the phone line has been fixed, but because someone walked off with it during the night.

It has gone walkabout twice before, but been found nearby - but this time someone presumably decided to take it on a permanent vacation (although what you would do with such a fence (apart from the obvious) is beyond me). Quite possibly, they understandably got fed up with having the footpath half-blocked - for which I sincerely apologise - but I do need a phone line and Telstra will not, it seems, reinstate my underground connection.

Anyway, I rang Telstra - I think the person I spoke to must have been somewhere far from Australia, as she apparently didn't know that a number with area code 08 and postcode 6050 would be in Western Australia - she asked me twice which state I was in.

I tried to explain that I didn't think it was satisfactory service in the first place for a temporary line to be laid across the surface of the footpath for nearly 12 months, but I don't think the message got through. I did, however, get some response when I said that the cable (sans fence) was a trip hazard - and was duly told someone would be out this afternoon.

And, indeed, someone did come (Yeah!) - and the fence has been replaced (Yeah?) - and this time strapped to a fence post so it can't walk away, making me wonder if this is going to be a permanent arrangement (Oh! No!). All this in the time it took me to make and drink a cup of coffee away from my office at the front of the house - so I didn't actually see it done and no one came to the door to tell me.

BUT I still have only a temporary phone connection - and I rather suspect I will have gone back to the bottom of the queue as there will now be a record of some action having taken place on 14 September 2009.

Next time I ring Telstra, I shall prepare myself with a range of descriptions when asked what state I am in - indignation and frustration come to mind, as do other less polite terms.

Decision Time

To nominate or not to nominate, that is the question (with apologies to William Shakespeare).

Shakespeare had Hamlet go on to question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them.

As a current Councillor for the Town of Vincent, perhaps I'd better not go down that road!

But I have made my decision - and today submitted my nomination for the election to be held on 17 October. And this is the mugshot you will see on the 'candidate information' sheet that comes with your ballot papers - as you can see, 14 years in local government has turned my hair white and I've probably pulled it out in frustration at times.

Each candidate is also allowed up to 150 words to be included in the candidate information you will receive. That isn't very much, but here are mine (actually 149 words):

I am a proud Vincent resident and want you to feel the same. I have lived here for 24 years and been a Councillor for 14 years. I live and work in Vincent, so understand the aspirations of both residents and businesses. My four children attended Sacred Heart Primary School, Highgate, and I was active in keeping the school from closing in 1997. I have chaired the Town’s Local Area Traffic Management and Universal (Disability) Access Advisory Groups since their establishment, developing an inclusive and consultative approach to resolving issues for residents. Vincent is in good shape for the future and I will help ensure this continues - through making our town centres places for people and businesses, improving residential amenity, supporting quality development and working for better public transport to places other than the Perth city centre, including the University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre and Subiaco.

You can find more in earlier posts to this blog or you can contact me by e-mail (ian_ker@hotmail.com) or phone (+61 8 9328 8978).

The important decisions are those that are yet to come - the votes of each and every eligible resident, ratepayer and business owner.

I encourage you all to vote in this election.

With the reversion to 'first past the post' voting, each elector in the South Ward has two votes, as there are two positions to be filled.

The Town of Vincent uses postal voting to make it as easy as possible for you to vote. Ballot papers and information on candidates will be mailed out by the WA Electoral Commission from 23 September 2009, so you will have up to three weeks to mail back your completed voting papers, which must reach the Electoral Commission by Saturday 17 October.

If you do leave it late, you can deliver them to the Town of Vincent Civic Centre (cnr Loftus and Vincent Streets, Leederville) up to 6pm on Saturday 17 October.

I hope to be able to continue to serve the Vincent community to the best of my ability after 17 October.