27 Dec 1988 - Candidates discussing ACT coalition

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周zhoū二èr 27 12月yuè 1988 - The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995)
Page 1 - Candidates discussing ACT coalition

Candidates discussing ACT coalition

By JEANNIE ZAKHAROV

The chances of a coalition for
the ACT's first self-government
was raised by some candidates
yesterday in the wake of a sur
vey showing a large undecided
vote, many in the dark about the
voting system and no clearcut
party majority.

Joint tickets between smaller

groups and independents were also

mooted.

But the Labor candidate for Chief
Minister, Rosemary Follett, said the
survey showed that those who had
already decided their vote recognised
the only real options were one of the
main parties.

According to the Datacol survey,
published in The Canberra Times
yesterday, Labor leads, but not deci
sively, almost one third have not
made up their mind and none of the
minor parties and independents have
enough support individually to win

one of the 17 seats at this stage.

A spokesman for Ms Follett said
the ALP's share of the undecided vote
gave them a clear majority and the
party would be campaigning on this
basis.

He did not expcct any of the inde

pendents or small groups to gain a

seat.

Bill Stefaniak, a Liberal candidate,
said the his party would certainly con
sider a coalition with the smaller
groups if they won six or seven seats.

If the votes of the undecideds in the
survey were distributed according to
the general voting preferences the re
sult was just a slight drop of support
for the Liberals and the ALP, he said.

But "it's still wide open, it's early

days yet," he said.

Mr Stefaniak and others said that
voters' intentions were unclear be
cause they did not understand the new
ACT voting system.

In the survey ALP support, at 35.9
per cent, which would give them six
seats in the 17-member assembly, was
well ahead of the Liberals (slightly

more than 20 per cent, or three seats).
About 30 per cent said they were un
decided.

The Australian Democrats, at 3.8
per cent, were well short of the 5.6 per
cent of votes needed to win a seat.

The Residents Rally for Canberra,
independents and others had 10 per
cent of the vote altogether, each short
of the quota of 5.6 per cent.

With the election due in February
or March, but no date set yet, the
jockeying over joint tickets has al
ready started.

Mr Ken Fry, independent candi
date and former ALP member for Fra
ser, said the ALP should be happy to
be so far ahead of the Liberals at this
stage.

He said it would be hard for indi
vidual independents to get a quota on
their own, but also difficult for a group
of them to agree on a ticket.

He was looking for running mates,
either from existing groups, or by find
ing candidates for his own team.

As former member for Fraser on

the northside he needed to strengthen

his position in south Canberra and
had a couple of strong local identities
in mind to support him.

He expected support for indepen
dents to hold, and strengthen, because
voters were looking for alternatives to
major parties.

Domenic Mico, a prominent con
tender for the Australian Democrat
ticket, said he expected that the Dem
ocrats would improve their support
and gain two seats once the party an

nounced its ticket

The Democrats were negotiating
with likeminded groups over a joint
ticket, he said. But any arrangement
would have to be agreed to by a ballot
of party members.

The Democrats plan to announce
their candidates from a field of 11
contenders in mid-January, after a
postal ballot of members.

The contenders are Mr Mico,
Graeme Evans, Mike Calkovics,
Heather JefTcoat, Bill Mason, Ian Bu
chanan, Nick Goldie, Arminel Ryan,
Andrew Freeman, Jenny Macleod and
Julie McCarron-Benson.

Rosemary Follett

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