Information for members and Election Notice

16/09/2019

Nominations opened on Wednesday, 4 September 2019 for a range of vacant CPSU positions. Nominations close 12 noon (AEST) Wednesday, 25 September 2019 at the office or postal address of the Returning Officer.

All CPSU members are encouraged to get involved and have a say in choosing their union’s leadership.

Please see the Election Notice for the list of positions open for nomination and to find out which positions you may be eligible to nominate for. The Election Notice and Nomination forms are available below:

The CPSU Elections are conducted by the AEC in accordance with the CPSU PSU Group Rules.

Timetable

Nominations open Wednesday, 4 September 2019.

Nominations close 12.00 noon (AEST) on Wednesday, 25 September 2019 at the office or postal address of the Returning Officer.

Term length

All positions run from the date of declaration of election until 31 December 2020.

About the positions

Deputy National President is one of the CPSU Executive Committee which is made up of 7 National officers who are directly elected by a vote of all members. Deputy National Presidents support the National Secretary in the administration and operation of the PSU Group and implementing CPSU Governing determinations regarding the strategic direction and objectives of the union.
Section Secretaries represent their section of the union on the Governing Council, as the supreme governing body of the union, and assist the relevant National Officers to manage the affairs of their section. In practice, this generally means they work with a national team of delegates, often through a Section Council structure, to help build and promote the union in their work area, represent members and engage with employers, while working with union officials and staff to do so.
Section Councillors assist in this work, representing members in a state or particular work area on their Section Council.

CSIRO Section Council vacancies

04 Tasmania (1 position)
05 South Australia (1 position)

Who can nominate?

Nominations are open to all financial members eligible to stand in the particular vacancies in an electorate. Check the Election Notice to find out which positions you may be eligible to nominate for.

How do I nominate?

Just fill in a nomination form and return it to the AEC Returning Officer:

By email: A properly completed nomination form including all necessary signatures may be scanned and submitted to nswelections@aec.gov.au – Note that emails greater than 6 MB including attachments will not be accepted by the AEC’s firewall.
By post: AEC, PO Box 496, Haymarket NSW 1240.
By fax: 02 6215 9910
By hand: Australian Electoral Commission, Level 10, 59 Goulburn Street, Haymarket NSW

When would the election ballot be conducted?

Where a ballot is required, the AEC will send ballot papers to all members eligible to vote who are financial as at Wednesday 28 August 2019. The ballot, if required, will open on Wednesday, 6 November 2019 and close at 10.00 am (AEDT) on Wednesday, 11 December 2019. If you have changed your postal address, make sure you update your details now by emailing csstaff@cpsu.org.au

Who is conducting the election for the AEC?

Anthony Carey is the AEC Returning Officer, and can be reached on (02) 9375 6361.

Copying or inspecting the roll of voters

A candidate or member may inspect or obtain a copy of the roll of voters directly from the AEC Returning Officer. To ensure candidates are receiving the membership list accurate for the roll of voters as at 29 August when the rolls closed under the Rules, the CPSU will not provide membership lists to candidates. The AEC will provide voter rolls as per the CPSU’s Rules.

Candidate statements for AEC publication with the ballot paper

For positions on the Governing Council (Deputy National President, Section Secretary, Governing Councillor or Section President), candidates may lodge a written statement of not more than 250 words in support of their candidature. The statement may only include personal details, employment history, policy details and the candidate’s claims for election and may not include any photos, pictures or diagrams.

Please submit your statement to the Returning Officer as a word document (.doc) either by email or on a CD no later than 12:00 noon (AEDT) on Wednesday, 9 October 2019.

By email: nswelections@aec.gov.au – Note that emails greater than 6 MB including attachments will not be accepted by the AEC’s firewall.
By post: Australian Electoral Commission, PO Box 496, Haymarket NSW 1240
By hand: Australian Electoral Commission, Level 10, 59 Goulburn Street, Haymarket NSW

Candidate statements for CPSU publication as per Rule 3.23

Where there is more than one nomination for a position on Governing Council (Deputy National President, Section Secretary, Governing Councillor or Section President), candidates can submit a 250 word statement and a photo of themselves in support of their nomination which will be published on the CPSU website and/or other CPSU publications.

What can the CPSU candidate statement contain?

The statement may only include personal details, employment history, policy details and the candidate’s claims for election. It should be truthful, accurate and free from defamatory or discriminatory statements. It cannot include diagrams or pictures (except that candidates for National Officer or a position on Governing Council may include a candidate photo). Statements must be received by the CPSU no later than 5pm Wednesday, 10 October 2019 to:

email: elections@cpsu.org.au (preferred method)
post: CPSU 191-199 Thomas St, Haymarket NSW 2000 or
fax: 1300 137 646

What about comments on other candidates for CPSU publication?

If candidates comment in their statement about any other candidate the CPSU is obligated not to publish the statement without providing that person a right of reply, as per the following rule 3.23(c):

If any item submitted for publication in an edition of any official PSU Group publication published between the calling of nominations in an election and the closing date for voting in the election comments on any other candidate directly or indirectly that article shall not be accepted for publication unless:

a copy of the item is sent to the candidate or candidates commented on in the article at least 7 days prior to the closing date for acceptance of items for the publication; and
the candidate or candidates commented on are given reasonable space to reply in the same publication in which the original comment is published.