Australian Electoral Office Abandons Port Augusta
Federal Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey has slammed the Australian Electoral Office for its announcement that it is to exit the electorate of Grey altogether and relocate the Port Augusta offices’ functions to Adelaide.
“I was alarmed last election when the AEC decided it would no longer count votes in Port Augusta and that process was relocated to the northern suburbs of Adelaide,” Mr Ramsey said.
“That in itself complicated the process for candidates as they tried to observe the counting process.
“Consequently now it comes as no great surprise to me that the AEC have decided to shut their doors altogether and will have no further face to face presence in the electorate.
“I know this is not the decision of local staff who I presume will lose their jobs.
“It will be seen as a cost cutting exercise for the AEC, but I am sick of governments talking about their commitment to regions and regionalisation and then repeatedly shutting down their services and relocating them in the city.
“If it’s so easy to do everything electronically nowadays, why not shift the head office from Adelaide to Port Augusta, I can guarantee them the office rents will be cheaper.
“At a time when our capital cities are bulging, with their infrastructure completely overloaded including the roads, water, electricity grids and sewerage works, why is it deemed necessary to shift jobs from the country to the city.
“This may not make a lot of difference to the service delivered, but it annoys me intensely because it sends a clearly demonstrates the current government’s attitude to regional Australia and the timing is deplorable, delivering a miserable Christmas gift to the workers in Port Augusta who services are no longer required.”
Rowan Ramsey MP
Media Contact: Leonie Lloyd-Smith 08 8633 1744
December 16, 2024
