ONE week down in the eight week federal election campaign and already the two major Gilmore candidates are sniping at each other over election signs.
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Incumbent Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis and her team were quick off the mark with election signs going up around the area.
There are nine on a fence line at Brundee, more on other fences at Brundee and Pyree, 17 on the intersection of Millbank and Terara roads at Terara, six at the prominent intersection of Illaroo Road and the Princes Highway and 16 in Bryce’s Bomaderry paddock at the intersection of Bolong Road and the highway.
Labor candidate Fiona Phillips reacted strongly on social media, claiming Mrs Sudmalis had breached the electoral rules by having her election signs up more than five weeks out from the election date.
“You would think after the petition/attendance sheet fiasco...and time, that Ms Sudmalis would know the signage rules by now, but perhaps it is just another ‘mistake’,” Mrs Phillips said on Facebook.
“The rule under Shoalhaven council’s guidelines definitely states election signs can’t go up until five weeks out from the election date,” Mrs Phillips said.
“Council has sent out letters to all the candidates stating that fact. I complained about the signs going up and council replied saying they had been placed on private land and the problem with that was council would have to issue a notice saying the signs would be impounded in seven days.
“By then they are at the right time frame.”
Mrs Phillips said despite believing it was not right to have election signs out so early she was now going to follow the Gilmore MP’s lead and her signs would be going up in the next few days.
“It’s hard. The other candidates are trying to do the right thing. Clearly Mrs Sudmalis is not going to take down her signs so we are going to put ours up as well,” she said.
Mrs Sudmalis said her understanding was that as the election campaign period ran longer than the traditional 33 days (five weeks) candidates were within their rights to erect signs.
“We are allowed to put up signs as soon as the election is called,” she said.
“When an election is called it is traditionally for five weeks or 33 days time. This one runs for longer.
“It is one of the few double dissolution elections called and that’s why the campaign is so long.
“These signs are on private property so it is irrelevant anyway.”
This is directly at odds with Shoalhaven City Council’s position.
General manager Russ Pigg confirmed it was council’s belief elections signs could only be displayed five weeks preceding the election date.
“That is my understanding under the State Environmental Planning Policy (exempt and complying development codes) 2008,” he said.
“I can’t find anything that changes that. No election signage of any form should be on display.”
Mr Pigg said council would write to each of the candidates advising them of those rules.
A spokesperson for the Australian Electoral Commission said the organisation had no specific legislation about the erection of election signs.
“We have no stance according to the legislation. They [candidates] can do it whenever they like as long as it is not prohibited by other means,” the spokesperson said.
“Different areas have different rules governing the erection of election signs. We are guided by those various authorities in those areas and their guidelines.
“In this case it is the council.
“Different councils have different regulations on the time for placing signs.”
Regardless of the rules as one person who commented on Facebook said - “forget about the signs - let’s talk about the issues and policies.”