Voting booklet not deceptive, says MP's office

The office of the Member for Gosford Ms Marie Andrews has rejected claims that postal voting information she had sent to voters was deceptive and dishonest.

In letters to Peninsula News, residents have criticised the fact that while Ms Andrews' name appeared on the material, it did not disclose her party nor the fact that she was not standing for re-election.

"My concern is that older or less informed voters may believe that Marie is actually standing and request an application in the belief that they are supporting her and not the true candidate contesting the seat at the upcoming election," wrote Mr Adam Crouch of Umina.

Woy Woy resident Ms Eva Lee said: "It seems that this form will only enable me to vote Labor as it clearly indicates that this application will only be sent to the office of Marie Andrews, who is the sitting Labor Member for Gosford and not even renominating for the seat."

Ms Andrews' electorate officer Ms Suzanne King has denied the claims.

She said the postal voting booklet was not asking residents to vote Labor.

Ms King said the booklet contained a form for people to become a postal voter.

The form could be sent to Ms Andrews' office and would then be forwarded to the electoral commission.

Following this, a ballot paper would be sent out and voters would be able to vote for whoever they chose.

"Once we get them, we send them registered post to the electoral commission.

"About 1300 have already gone," said Ms King.

"If you look at the records, there are literally thousands of people here who do postal votes and that's because we do have an elderly electorate."

Ms King said the form could not have the name of candidate Ms Katie Smith or the Labor Party because "it's a parliamentary issue not a Labor Party issue".

"Marie pays for that out of her parliamentary allowance, so she cannot put that on there," she said.

"It's a community service.

"We have so many people who don't even know there's an election on March 26,' said Ms King.

Kaitlin Watts, 2 Mar 2011 Interviewee: Suzanne King Letters, 25 Feb 2011 Eva Lee, Woy Woy Adam Crouch, Umina