(Letter to the Editor - from Bruce Devereaux, Gympie Regional Council Division 4 Councillor).
I wanted to vote for a Gympie councillor I thought would do a good job, but I was not allowed to because he did not live in my division. To make things worse, voting is compulsory, so I had to vote for someone who was definitely not my first choice.
Compulsory Donkey Voting - that is what this divisional voting creates. It is unfair. I canât say it is undemocratic, you still get to vote, but the value of your vote is diminished.
The person I thought would be best as a councillor does live in the Gympie region - and I was voting for a Gympie councillor - so why canât I vote for him? I donât really care where my mayor or councillor lives - as long he or she is within a commutable distance to Gympie. I should be allowed to vote for who I think is best for the job.