Dear Editor,

I write to clarify the matter of the re-location of the Barker Divisional Office from Mount Gambier to Murray Bridge.

Firstly, I want to assure readers that this matter relates to the Australian Electoral Commission’s Barker divisional office, not my electoral office. My office remains at 27 Commercial St East, open 5 days a week.

I too was disappointed with the decision by the Australian Electoral Commission to relocate this Divisional Office, however the Australian Electoral Commission is an independent commission with absolute discretion in relation to the location of divisional offices.

Neither Members of Parliament nor the Federal Government have any involvement in these decisions or any ability to influence or change them.

It is a fundamental tenant of our democracy that the Electoral Commission exists completely independent of the Parliament and the Government of the day.

Tony Pasin Federal Member for Barker