Party registration news Vic (state): Free Public Transport - Victoria fails its membership check and is not registered. #springst

I'm Voting to Avoid the Fine meets the membership requirements and is registered in Victoria. #springst

One more time for the end of the week! #lgtas #politas

Tantusar@tantusar.au · last wk.

Ballot packs for the #lgtas elections go out this week, which seems as good a time as any to launch this cycle's edition of the Quick Links. Links to candidate statements and prefilled VotePlans at your fingertips! lgtas.tantusar.au/2026/

As of yesterday, with the official determination of the #politas #auspol electorates, one can pass through all five electorates taking only intercity busses. (Or I guess if you want to be boring, driving National Highway 1. You're no fun.)

Ballot packs for the #lgtas elections go out this week, which seems as good a time as any to launch this cycle's edition of the Quick Links. Links to candidate statements and prefilled VotePlans at your fingertips! lgtas.tantusar.au/2026/

In which I give Kevin my data and he does something I never thought of: What if we just ignored an outlier councillor entirely? The results are fascinating. #lgtas

Kevin Bonham@kevinbonham.bsky.social · last wk.

kevinbonham.blogspot.com/2026/10/clar... Clarence Council Voting Patterns 2022-6 #lgtas

Ballot packs for the #lgtas elections go out this week, which seems as good a time as any to launch this cycle's edition of the Quick Links. Links to candidate statements and prefilled VotePlans at your fingertips! lgtas.tantusar.au/2026/

#lgtas candidate statements are out. Once again about 5% of candidates couldn't be bothered, and about a third of those are mayoral or deputy mayoral candidates. Inclusion of web links WAY down after the specific field was removed, and several attempts to include in text garbled.

With the (now) conclusion of #lgtas nominations, the time has finally come for the Graph of Futility! Despite everything, there is still a sea of candidates you've never heard of and will never hear of again. A bespoke Robson Rotation matrix is required in Hobart. #politas

Nominations for the unfilled #lgtas positions have been taken and announced. Three candidates exist for the two King Island positions, EIGHT candidates exist for the one Tasman position. Where the hell were you a week ago? #politas

In somewhat more frivolous #lgtas matters, here's a look at the changes between council logos used at the 2022 and 2026 elections. Not a lot to see here with most but let's see what we can spot: (a thread)

Tantusar@tantusar.au · 3w ago

Per TEC comms, #politas #lgtas candidate statements will be published on their website by the end of next week, in HTML form rather than PDFs. (That means just webpages, which is probably the better choice for accessibility anyway!)

Tantusar@tantusar.au · 3w ago

As the candidate statement booklets have not yet been published by the TEC, I do not currently have any analysis to offer on rates of participation in the program. More later.

Some quick statistics: The retirement rate at these #lgtas elections is 28.52% compared to 29.28% in 2022. The elections for Break O'Day, Brighton, Burnie City and Central Coast have more renominees than there are now, post-reduction, available seats.

In other #auspol #JSCEM news, they're talking to Australia Post on Friday.

My final supplemental submission to the #JSCEM 2025 #auspol election inquiry was published today.

The NEXT set of #lgtas electoral reforms have been tabled in #politas parliament in the form of a dedicated electoral bill and a bill with consequential and other amendments. ...And we're still using original flavour last parcel Gregory for the count. Boooooooo.

The #lgtas councillor reductions passed Parliament on the 11th and were granted Royal Assent on the 21st, but because they come into effect on a day to be proclaimed, today, 12 days from the opening of nominations, they still are not in place. #politas

Well, I'm having a rough day, but at least I own this stupid #auspol shirt now. Shame it couldn't turn up in time for the hearing.

well that was exhausting. don't recall getting any questions on notice but still some stuff to clean up over the next couple of weeks *long exhale*

Tantusar@tantusar.au · 3mo ago

#auspol #JSCEM hearing schedule for Hobart on Wed released. Two senators, [insert self-deprecating remark], three members of UTAS' Tasmanian Policy Exchange including a former Clarence mayor, and @kevinbonham.bsky.social. Just ignore the guy in slot 2, not important at all.

Former Senator Catryna Bilyk is added to tomorrow's #auspol #JSCEM schedule. Parliament remains misspelt.

#auspol #JSCEM chair Laxale replied the next day, on Twitter: "To give our committee a briefing about their recent inquiry on misinformation in the climate space They suggest lots of crossover on use of AI, truth in advertising and other issues that they would like to share with our committee..."

Kevin Bonham@kevinbonham.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Interesting, why is a Vic ALP Senator appearing jointly with a Tas Greens Senator at a JSCEM hearing in Hobart?

writing down my opening statement for wednesday's #JSCEM hearing has not, in fact, improved my nerves about the whole thing it has, however, told me that my opening statement will easily fit within the three minutes allotted for it, so that's nice

#auspol #JSCEM hearing schedule for Hobart on Wed released. Two senators, [insert self-deprecating remark], three members of UTAS' Tasmanian Policy Exchange including a former Clarence mayor, and @kevinbonham.bsky.social. Just ignore the guy in slot 2, not important at all.

candidate statement requirements for the #lgtas elections have been published. they've killed the weblink field so now if you want a weblink, it comes out of your 600 characters. and that's assuming you remember you can. this will SURELY help the "who's this dingus" problem.

#JSCEM interim report on 2025 election mainly dealing with polling place conduct - not a full coverage of JSCEM issues. Recommendations include enforced code of conduct for booth campaigners and zones and personnel limits around booths. parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/dow...

Confirmed via the Sunday Tasmanian: the amended #lgtas amendments will not be passed until three weeks before nominations open. #politas

Tantusar@tantusar.au · 4mo ago

Should be noted that said Lower House is not currently scheduled to return until August 11, three weeks before nominations are set to open. #politas

The Local Government Amendment (Targeted Reform) Bill 2026 has been passed by the Legislative Council with amendments and returned to the House of Assembly. (Attempts were made to prevent the councillor reduction, but these were unsuccessful.) #politas #lgtas

Councillor Christian Street elected by secret ballot to be #Kingborough Deputy Mayor (and eventual Acting Mayor) until October's #lgtas elections. The election, held at tonight's meeting, concluded with a majority for Cr Street after the first round.

Obviously no results yet, but we do now have the VEC's 2CP pick... LIB Marsh v IND Hutchison? I suspect that one'll quickly be pulled back in. #springst #Nepean (cc @kevinbonham.bsky.social @benraue.com @pollbludger.bsky.social)