The Chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body has notified the ACT Electoral Commissioner that one of Elected Body’s members, Mr Fred Monaghan, has resigned his position on the Elected Body.

“I am now required to announce the vacancy and call for applications from the unsuccessful candidates at the 2014 Elected Body election who still live in the ACT, who wish to contest the vacancy,” the Electoral Commissioner, Phil Green said today.

Vacancies on the Elected Body are filled by distributing the votes of the former member.  “In effect, those voters who voted for Mr Monaghan determine his replacement,” Mr Green said.

“To begin the formal process for filling the vacancy, I will be placing an advertisement in The Canberra Times on Friday 17 July 2015 inviting candidates who stood unsuccessfully at the 2014 election to contest the vacancy.  Those candidates then have 10 days to apply to contest the vacancy, if they wish to do so,” Mr Green said.

Applications will close at 12 noon on Monday 27 July 2015.  “A declaration of the names of the candidates who wish to contest the vacancy will be made at 12.30pm that day,” Mr Green said “Then, if more than one candidate applies to contest the vacancy, a distribution of the votes received by Mr Monaghan will take place in North Building, commencing at 2pm that same day, to elect a candidate to fill the vacancy,” Mr Green said.