Mayoral candidate for Ipswich Chris Smith is asking the Queensland Government to put the lives of Queenslanders ahead of policy as Coranavirus COVID-19 turns into a world-wide pandemic.
“I have asked the Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk MP and the Minister in charge of Local Government Stirling Hinchliffe MP to make available the use of the services of the Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ) to allow candidates across the state to instead email the constituents on the electoral roll they have provided in order to minimise health risk to both candidates and voters,” said Ipswich Mayoral Candidate Chris Smith.
“I have been to debates, conferences and meetings and many of the venues have an audience of retirees who are in the highest risk group for COVID-19.
“Can you imagine if a candidate is door knocking and shaking hands? Not only are they risking their lives, but their families and neighbourhoods. They will be spreading COVID-19 to the most vulnerable.”
He says he is not asking for any preferential treatment and believes the emails should stay in the hands of the ECQ.
“I don’t want that email list myself, I would be happier as a citizen that the information stay in the hands of the Commission. They intend to use the systems anyway to communicate with voters so this shouldn’t be a costly exercise building something new…this is using what we have to keep Queenslanders safe,” he concluded.
