Regional councils and communities have been plunged into chaos and confusion after Geoff Brock refused to take any responsibility for a local government election bungle that could see 46 elected members lose their positions over an avoidable procedural breakdown.
South Australians will likely be asked to return to the ballot box over the issue which occurred after information required by the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) was not returned by members in time.
However, some regional councillors did not receive notification of the issue, or if they did, were notified on the day the information was due to be returned.
Shadow Minister for Local Government, Sam Telfer, slammed Geoff Brock for “taking his hands off the wheel” and “wiping his hands of any responsibility” but said “ECSA must also share some blame”.
“It is Geoff Brock’s sole responsibility to ensure local government runs smoothly but his failure to do so has resulted in a monumental stuff up that will cost people positions they thought they had won fair and square,” Mr Telfer said.
“The legislation is watertight, but Geoff Brock’s communication of proper process has been non-existent and now we find ourselves in this frustrating and avoidable situation.
“It’s also clear that ECSA’s communication on this issue has been poor – it’s as if the Commissioner had known this problem was snowballing but chose not to act.
“With so many people impacted, ECSA should have seen the warning signs from a mile away and it shouldn’t have ever gotten this far.
“We still have a situation on our hands where some regional councillors are unaware of the impact of the issue on them, which once again speaks to Geoff Brock and ECSA’s failure to communicate.
“What we’re forgetting here too is the impact this has on the community and the massive hit to public confidence in the local government area.
“This chaos and confusion was avoidable and needs to be rectified as quickly as possible.”