Q1 But if I don't vote I'll be fined. Voting is compulsory
In your last local government elections, for example, the Shire of Noosa did not follow up fines and penalties for those who did not vote, because there was too many of these people.
1. However, even if councils did want to fine you for not voting in this election they would be stopped from doing so because of the special circumstances of your not voting. This election is one of those special cases when not voting (in a compulsory voting election) is lawful.
2. In this election there is a solid “legal immunity” against prosecution if you choose to politically protest by way of service of your Notice of Voter's Veto.. Electors have a common law right and a constitutional right of political protest. It is your right to exercise and live your right of political protest. The High Court of Australia upholds this right. Your option to not vote is a valid and lawful option for the purposes of political protest.
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Even without the protection of this legal umbrella, it is highly unlikely for government to try to fine thousands of constituents for the same reason. And if you did face a worst case scenario, your fine is $25, which in my opinion, is worth chancing for the benefits of the potential victory of keeping your shire.
4.Your legal immunity partly comes from the discovered majority will as discovered by the plebiscite referendum and the VOICE of Australia referendum. Because of this referendum ALL local government Constituents may now exercise their Right of Peaceful Political Protest and boycott and veto the 15th March 2008 State Government Super Council election. Your other protection is because your not voting is a political liberty exercised for a political purpose. You have other immunities at common law, and according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
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Q2 . Can't I just turn up and do an informal vote?
1. NO. Not voting means not turning up at all. Not voting means not being marked off the electoral roll.
2. Not voting means not consenting to the division of your Shire.
Q3. What is the best outcome we could expect?
1. The greatest result we could expect from VeVo is ZERO VOTES, i.e. ZEVO a 100% boycott.
Constituents do the VeVo with the objective of getting ZEVO, or near to ZEVO .
2. The VeVo-ZEVO is a very powerful legal tool for electors.
3. The VeVo-ZEVO is one of the electors rights in action. Constituents do the VeVo with the hope of ZEVO or near ZEVO.
Q4. But Bob Abbot says we went to war to protect our right to vote?
1. Wrong. We went to war to preserve and protect our democracy and our way of life. Our democracy is founded upon the government obeying the discovered majority will. In my opinion Bob Abott is more concerned about getting his $200,000 pay packet, and he needs you to vote to get that pay packet. He has given up the fight a long time ago, and he wants you to give up with him so he can get paid.
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Our right to vote is as powerful as our right to not vote.
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Our right to vote for what we want is as powerful as our right to not vote for what we don't want.
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We are simply exercising our right to not vote for what we don't want. We are being conscientious. We are protecting our freedoms and our democracy. Our not voting is a responsible act. Our not voting is an action that is a responsible remedy to an unjust and unlawful attempt to abolish our local governments.
Q5. But won't the electoral commission agree to return councillors on those who have voted.
1. No. When the electoral commission has been served with notices of Voter's Veto by the majority of constituents then they cannot legally declare candidates as being returned.. The number of notices served will constitute an absolute majority.
You can liken the situation to this election having two candidates.
The first candidate is those who vote, whose policy is to support the new Regional Council.
The second candidate is those who don't vote, whose policy is to not support and not consent to the new Regional Council.
2. The legal standing of both candidates is recognized at law, since both candidates are on the electoral role.
3. In the case that the second candidate, not voting candidate, declares an absolute majority, then the electoral commission cannot, pursuant to the rule of law, declare the absolute majority for any councillor.
Q5. But Bob Anset and leaders of Friends of Noosa say we have to vote so we get the right person.
Yes I expect that this is what they would say. But in opposition to this view take notice that:
1. Voting for the right person is, in legal effect, also voting for Amalgamation and the creation of the Regional Council.
2. Voting for the right person is, in legal effect, also consenting to Amalgamation. and the creation of the Regional Council.
3. Voting for the right person won't help, because even if you get the right person they are only, at best, 4 councillors in 12, and are a minority.
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