A GROUP of well-known former Gundagai-based councillors have been re-added to the ballot paper for Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council’s election after a technicality rendered them ineligible.
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Abb McAlister, David Graham, Peter Gain, Penny Nicholson and Amy Turner missed out after a section of the Candidate Information Sheet was not witnessed correctly, rendering the nomination invalid.
They would have been one of three groups to contest the upcoming local government election, together with 12 individual candidates.
Mr McAlister had been in contact with a reputable lawyer who has advised that the Oaths Act 1900 demonstrates that the nomination should not have been rejected on the basis that it was.
“People would have out on the opportunity of having two accountants (Mr Graham and Ms Turner) and two businesspeople (Ms Nicholson and Mr McAlister) represent them,” Mr McAlister said.
“All over what is to me a ridiculous misdemeanour.”
(It's) all over what is to me a ridiculous misdemeanour.
- Abb McAlister
The technicality left Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council constituents with only four candidates from the former Gundagai Shire to choose from out of a pool of 24.
Mr McAlister described it as a “win” for commonsense.