North Coast residents urged to fight loss of regional seat in electorate redistribution

19 February 2009

Federal Member for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker, has called on North Coast residents to oppose any plan to reduce the number of Federal seats which exist in regional New South Wales.

 

The Australian Electoral Commission today confirmed NSW will lose a seat to Queensland at the next election and there will be a redrawing of electoral boundaries to compensate.

 

The AEC will now begin a process of consultation before deciding which NSW seat will be lost.

 

“It is essential that the AEC does not take the soft option and reduce the number of seats in regional New South Wales,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

 

“Prior to the last Federal election the AEC completed a redistribution and took a seat from western New South Wales.

 

“If an additional seat now has to be abolished in New South Wales then it should be a Sydney seat.

 

“Removing seats in regional areas reduces the representation which non metropolitan residents receive.

 

“The Nationals will be making a formal submission to the AEC highlighting why a seat should be taken from Sydney.

 

“When the AEC conducts its consultation process I urge all residents on the North Coast to oppose the elimination of another regional seat. If we fight this together we have the best chance of not again drawing the short straw.

 

“There are already seats in New South Wales which are bigger than some European and Asian countries. The fear is the AEC will create larger electorates in this redistribution.”

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