Candidate Profiles

Candidate nominations for the 2024 Shire of Ashburton Tom Price Ward Extraordinary Election are now closed.  

The profiles of all candidates are displayed below as received. Candidate profiles are in the format provided to and accepted by the Returning Officer.

Rose, Kenneth

Taylor, Joel

Hamilton, Jeremy

Kapor, Rosanne

Important Dates

Close of Rolls: 5.00pm 18 January 2024

Nominations Open: 24 January 2024

Nominations Close: 4.00pm Wednesday 31 January 2024

Election Day: 15 March 2024

The full election timetable can be accessed here:

Election Timetable

Eligibility to Vote

You may be eligible to be enrolled to vote in this extraordinary election of you live in or are an owner or occupier of rateable property in the Tom Price Ward of the Shire.

Residents

You are automatically enrolled to vote if you are on the State Electoral Roll as at 5.00pm Thursday, 18 January 2024. If you are not already on the State Electoral Roll and meet the eligibility criteria, or if you have changed address recently, you must complete an enrolment form.

Enrolment

Forms You can enrol or update your details online, or download an enrolment form, via the Western Australian Electoral Commission website (www.elections.wa.gov.au/enrol). Forms are also available from the Australian Electoral Commission (http://www.aec.gov.au/). Enrolments and updates must be completed and received by 5.00pm Thursday, 18 January 2024.

Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers

If you are a non-resident owner or occupier of rateable property in the Tom Price Ward of the Shire of Ashburton and are on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll, you are eligible to enrol to vote. If you are not on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll and own or occupy rateable property in the Tom Price Ward of the Shire of Ashburton, you may be eligible to enrol to vote. This applies if you were on the last electoral roll for the Shire of Ashburton prior to May 1996 and have owned or occupied rateable property in the district continuously since this time. Please contact your local government for details. Owners of land who were on the last Local Government roll continue to retain that status until they cease to own the rateable property to which the enrolment relates. Occupiers do not have continuous enrolment and should contact the Shire of Ashburton to confirm their enrolment status. To be eligible to enrol as an occupier, you will need to have a right of continuous occupation under a lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument for at least the next three months following the date of the application to enrol.

Joint Owners and Occupiers

If a rateable property is owned or occupied by more than two people, a majority of the owners/occupiers may nominate two persons from amongst themselves who are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll, to enrol as owner/occupier electors.

Corporations

A body corporate that owns or occupies rateable property may nominate two people who are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll to enrol as owner/occupier electors.

Enrolment Forms – Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers

Enrolment Eligibility Claim forms can be found here. Completed forms must be lodged with the Shire of Ashburton Chief Executive Officer by 5.00pm Thursday, 18 January 2024.

Enrolment Eligibility Claim Form

Becoming an elected member

Council members play an important community leadership role and being on a Council is one way you can ensure community perspectives are heard and considered in local decision-making. Improving your community starts with local government. If you want to make a difference to your local facilities and services, consider becoming a candidate.

Any eligible elector, who is 18 years of age or older and who is not disqualified, can stand as a candidate in this election. Please note, nominees of a body corporate cannot stand for election. For more information on the role of elected members please visit the Department of Local Government's website.

How to nominate

Before commencing the nomination process with the Returning Office, candidates must complete a compulsory online induction. This induction covers the following topics:

• About government in Australia
• Local government in WA
• Local government decision-making
• The role of council members
• Community, council members and local government employees
• Types of decisions by council members
• Qualities and skills of effective council members
• Code of Conduct
• Gifts and conflicts of interest
• Local elections
• Election campaigns
• Declaration and remuneration
• Why stand for council?
• What should you do now?
• Support and information available

The compulsory online induction can be accessed here: Candidate Induction and message from the Minister for Local Government

Nominations can only be submitted to the Returning Officer once the nomination period opens. For this election nominations open on Wednesday 24 January 2024. The nomination period closes at 4.00pm Wednesday 31 January 2024. A valid nomination consists of the following:

• a completed nomination form - it is recommended that candidates use the online Nomination Builder to complete their nomination form and construct their candidate profile
• a candidate profile (1000 characters maximum) which must:
• be in English
• confined to biographical information about the candidate, and statements about the candidate's policies or beliefs
• not contain false, defamatory or misleading information
• fit on an A4 page;
• include the candidate's full name and contact information
• a photograph, no larger than passport sized and taken in the last six months (optional).

• a deposit of $100 is required to be paid. Cash required.

Candidates may also provide a written statement in English, of up to 2,000 characters (including spaces) with their nomination paper (optional). All nomination applications must be signed by the candidate in front of a witness.

Returning Officer

The Returning Officer for this Shire of Ashburton election, appointed by the Western Australian Electoral Commission is Ms Sharyn Morrow.

Candidates are reminded that before nominating, the online mandatory induction must be completed. An online nomination builder is also available to assist candidates prepare, before arranging a meeting with the Returning Officer. The Returning Officer will be available in Tom Price on Tuesday 30 January and Wednesday 31 January 2024 to meet with candidates intending to nominate.

Returning Officers Contact Information

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0461 436 851

Candidates intending to nominate must contact the Returning Officer to schedule an in-person meeting during the nomination period.

Electoral gifts

Candidates in local government elections must be aware of their legislative obligations in relation to the disclosure of gifts leading up to the local government elections. Part 5A of the Local Government (Elections) Regulations 1997 requires both candidates and donors to disclose information about any electoral related gift with a value of $300 or more that was given or promised during the disclosure period (being six months before election day). A "gift" means a disposition of property, or the conferral of any financial benefit, made by one person in favour of another and it can include:

• a gift of money
• a gift which is non-monetary but of value
• a gift in kind or where there is inadequate financial consideration such as the receipt of a discount (where the difference or the discount is worth more than $200)
• a financial or other contribution to travel
• the provision of a service for no consideration or for inadequate consideration
• a firm promise or agreement to give a gift at some future time.

It is important to note that a gift could be one or more gifts from the same donor that has a combined value of $300 or more.

A "gift" does not include a gift by will; a gift from a relative; a gift that does not relate to the candidate's candidature; or the provision of volunteer labour.

Candidates may opt to receive donations via a crowdfunding platform. The same rules apply to crowdfunding as with any other electoral gift. Candidates must bear in mind that receiving donations from anonymous donors is not permitted. If candidates choose to set up a donation page, they must clearly inform potential donors of the disclosure conditions - that a name and address is provided by each donor. 

Disclosure of electoral gifts

Both candidates and donors are required to disclose information about any electoral related gift with a value of $300 or more that is given or promised within the disclosure period. It is essential that candidates are aware of the legislative requirements. 

Within three days of nomination, any candidate in a local government election is required to disclose any gifts received within the disclosure period prior to nomination. The disclosure period commences six months prior to Election Day.  The disclosure period concludes 3 days after election day for unsuccessful candidates or for successful candidates on the start day for financial interest returns.

All disclosures are to be made on a LG09A Disclosure of Gifts form and delivered to the Shire of Ashburton Chief Executive Officer within three days of receiving the gift, once your candidate nomination has been made to the Returning Officer.

Donors will also need to disclose any gifts made within the relevant period. Information to be supplied includes the name of the candidate, the name and address of the donor, the date the gift was promised and received, the value of the gift and a description of the gift.

Council Policies and Codes

It is important that candidates be aware of the general principles and broad expectations of the Shire of Ashburton's Code of Conduct for Council Members and Committee Members and Candidates and have an understanding of Council's Policy in relation to election signage.

Both these documents can be found here:

Council Policies and Code of Conduct

Further information

Please refer to: 

• Sections 2.19 to 2.24 of the Local Government Act 1995
• the Western Australian Electoral Commission website.