Use your vote wisely in the Darebin Council elections

Postal ballots for the Darebin elections will be arriving in our letter-boxes around October 10. It’s a great chance to ensure that we have a diverse, accountable and responsive council for the next four years.
     There will be at least four new faces on Council – maybe more. Of the ‘Bent Street Five’, only Steven Tsitas is seeking re-election. On the other hand, all of the councillors more concerned with sustainability issues and balanced development — Trent McCarthy (Greens), Tim Laurence (ALP, Socialist Left), Gaetano Greco (ALP, SL), and Vince Fontana (ALP, independent) are standing again.

• Check out our how-to-vote information (also below) 
• See the candidates’ photos, 150 word statements and preferencing indications on the Victorian Electoral Commission website
• Check out scorecard of the candidates
• Read the candidates responses to our questionnaire

    With 17 or more candidates in each ward, many of them unknowns and some of them dummy candidates, how can voters choose? Our independent scorecards are based on the actions of candidates not just their 150 word statements. Preferencing is a surer guide to candidates’ real agendas than their carefully crafted statements.

     Our chart shows how the preferences flow and which candidates are responsive or unresponsive to requests for information from community groups. [link to chart] Dummy candidates do not usually answer questionnaires. The candidates who took the trouble to get back to us may be more responsive when elected.
     Read the full text of what candidates said in response to questionnaires about climate change and sustainability and appropriate development.

Darebin council election 2012 how to vote

Rucker ward how-to-vote: Click to enlarge

Cazaly ward how-to-vote: Click to enlarge