Preferences of candidates on the ballot paper have ruffled the feathers of Kiama Liberal MP and candidate Gareth Ward. Mr Ward is annoyed about the preference deal between the Greens and Labor in the Kiama electotate.
Mr Ward, who sits on the Joint Standing Committee for Electoral Matters, said he would explore the idea of removing preferential voting and instead considering a one vote-one value policy. He said the optional preferential system may not be what people want.
“In my view it is dishonest, and intentionally and deliberately misleading voters in order to garner and harvest preferences to get other people elected,” he said.
“It seems to me that Gareth Ward thought, for some reason, that he was going to get the Green’s preference and when he didn’t he spat the dummy,” Greens candidate for Wollongong Mitchell Bresser said.
“And now he thinks we should get rid of all preferences for every election in the state.”
Mr Bresser said he supported the partnership between the Greens and Labor and it was the best decision for his party.