BELCO Party candidate for Ginninderra Bill Stefaniak is calling for the ACT October election to be moved to February because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Mr Stefaniak, who was a former ACT opposition leader, says there are good reason to postpone it.

“We still don’t know when the coronavirus restrictions will be lifted allowing all candidates to properly campaign,” he says.

“October is fast approaching and whilst this may not worry Mr Barr and Mr Rattenbury and other well-known candidates, there are many other new candidates who need to get out there and become known in the electorate. 

“The Chief Minister Andrew Barr may like the idea of ploughing on with October as planned, no doubt thinking he will receive the traditional boost sitting governments tend to get in times of crises.

“Its fine for incumbents but its not democracy. The electorate is better served if voters have a chance to properly weigh up the merits of individual candidates and parties. 

“After considerable thought, the Belco party thinks that if this corona-crisis goes on and we can’t go back to normal [soon], then democracy is best served by postponing the election.”