It's election time again, but what are we voting for this time? Why's it so different from the election in March and what are we actually voting for on May 18?
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These might seem like silly questions, but given the current political climate we think it's legit so we've put together this cheat sheet for you.
To put it simply, its the Australian Federal Election which means everyone of voting age will be putting pen to paper on May 18 or before to decide who will Australia for the next three years or thereabout.
For the people of Western NSW that means you're voting for the seat of Parkes. This means if you live in Gunnedah, the Warrumbungles, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Narromine, the Lachlan, Cobar, Bogan, Warren, Coonamble, Narrabri, Walgett, Moree Plains, Gwydir, Brewarrina, Bourke, Cobar, Central Darling, Broken Hill, Unincorporatied shires you vote in the Parkes electorate.
If you live in Wellington, the Liverpool plains, Parkes, Forbes or Cabonne you vote in other electorates.
SO WHAT DO I NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN I'M VOTING IN THE FEDERAL ELECTION?
The Federal government looks after defence, foreign affairs, trade, immigration, currency, telecommunications, postal services and air travel.
Who do I blame for the other stuff?
Check out these nifty photos to get an idea of what your local council, state parliament and federal parliament look after.
Do you know how to vote? We have you covered! Watch this quick clip below.
So lets talk about the electorate
So hopefully you've worked out what electorate you're in and what you need think about when you're voting for our state government, here's what you need to know for the seat of Parkes.
The Parkes electorate is the largest in NSW and is named after Sir Henry Parkes (that dude who brought in federation.) The electorate is 393 413 square kilometres and covers 18 local Government areas.
There are currently 109, 639 voters registered in the electorate.
The current member for Parkes is Mark Coulton who has held the seat since 2007. He is a member of the National Party. He won the 2016 election with 58.65 per cent of the vote.
According to the 2011 census, approximately 78 per cent of the population identify as Christian, more than any other electorate in Australia at that time.
Need to know how to vote in the election? Read this handy guide of how to vote in Parkes.
WHO IS RUNNING FOR THE SEAT OF PARKES?
There are six candidates for the seat of Parkes.
- Daniel Jones, Liberal Democrat Party
- Mark Coulton, Nationals
- David Paull, Greens
- Jack Ayoub, Labor
- Will Landers, Independent
- Petrus Van Der Steen, United Australia Party.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
We have collated a survey to find out what's important to you, the voter! Answer our survey to help us find out what is important to you.