Parties campaign for overseas vote (Australia's overseas missions)

SMH.com.au ^ | September 26, 2004 - 11:24AM

[Former Military Chick]

Election campaigning will begin in earnest at Australia's overseas missions when they open their polling booths on Monday.

Australia House in London is the biggest single booth in the election, including those at home, with 20,000 votes cast there in the 2001 poll.

And the major parties are out to woo voters in Britain as vigorously as they are in Australia.

The UK Liberals are targeting young Australian professionals with an emphasis on interest rates while the ALP is focusing on Iraq as it aims for the backpackers' vote.

With new legislation likely to result in an increase in the number of overseas votes, the major parties believe expats and travellers could be crucial.

"This election is being taken to a whole new level and very, very seriously by Canberra," said Adam Wand, secretary of the UK ALP group.

"We have a fair whack of funding from Canberra.

"In an election that's looking as close as this, it could make a difference."

Both major parties will man the Australia House booth every day until closing at 8pm on October 8, hours before booths open in Australia.

"London is very crucial for the Liberal Party," said Jason Groves, president of the Liberal Party Australia UK branch.

"One of the biggest issues for young professionals in London, who I think make up the majority of voters, is interest rates.

"What a lot of young Australians do is come over here, make some money and put away a nest egg for when they return home.

"They want to make sure that when they get home, housing affordability is within their grasp."

A total of 63,016 overseas votes were cast in 2001, but expat lobby organisation the Southern Cross Group believes another half a million Australian citizens living overseas are denied the vote by being struck off the electoral role.

Legislation introduced in July extended the period from two years to three years in which a citizen living overseas can re-enrol.

But after the three years, citizens must return to Australia for at least one month to be eligible to re-enrol.

"It's a step in the right direction, but why is there any time limit in re-enrolling while you're overseas?" said Anne MacGregor, founder of the Southern Cross group.

"We've got all these long term expats who have been wiped off the role who do not have the right to enrol from overseas. Why shouldn't they have the right, because they are Australian citizens."

[Former Military Chick]

It is interesting to see how other countries handle their absentee ballots.