CPSU elections are being held throughout October and November 2020 and all members of the union – including CSIRO Staff Association members – are encouraged to get involved.
Staff Association members are eligible to participate in the elections; both for CPSU National Officer positions and CSIRO Section positions including Section Secretary, Section President, Section Deputy President (two positions) and Section Treasurer.
Section Council positions (one each) can be elected by the members of the relevant members of the following (CSIRO) Sub-Sections; ACT, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, SA, WA, Southern Queensland and Northern Australia (NT and FNQ).
Nominations open on Monday, 19 October 2020 for all CPSU positions, including National Officer, Section Secretary, Governing Councillor, Section Officer and Section Councillor. Nominations close 12 noon (AEDT) Monday, 9 November 2020.
Please see the Election Notice for the list of positions open for nomination and to find out which positions you are eligible to nominate for. Nomination forms are available for download below or from the Returning Officer upon request.
The CPSU Elections are conducted by the AEC in accordance with the CPSU PSU Group Rules.
All positions run from 1 January 2021 until 31 December 2023. If an election is not declared by the AEC prior to 1 January 2021 the term shall commence on the date that the election is declared.
Where an election for a position has not been declared the current occupant of the position on 31 December 2020 will remain in the office until such time that the election is declared.
Under the union’s rules, the National Secretary is responsible for protecting the interests of members and the union and for the administration and operation of the union, including governance, compliance with relevant legislation and implementing the decisions of the Governing Council.
The Assistant National Secretary acts as National Secretary in their absence and with other National Officers is responsible for rendering assistance to the National Secretary in their duties. In practice, this means they lead the union’s efforts in a particular membership area or take responsibility for various whole of union specialist areas of work.
Section Secretaries and Governing Councillors 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, help to build and promote the union in their work area, represent members and engage with employers, 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.
Nominations are open to all financial members eligible to stand in the particular electorate. Check the Election Notice to find out which positions you are eligible to nominate for.
Just fill in a nomination form and return it to the AEC Returning Officer:
It is the responsibility of senders to ensure that their nomination form and candidate statement reaches the AEC before the deadline for nominations.
A group of eligible members may run as a team for National Officers in accordance with rule 3.7. Each candidate must complete a nomination form for the office they seek. A team must also submit a team proposal form. A team must include a member for each National Officer position for which nominations have been called.
Where a ballot is required, the AEC will send ballot papers to all members eligible to vote who are financial as at Monday 12 October 2020. The ballot, if required, will open on Monday, 1 February 2021 and close at 5.00 pm (AEDT) on Monday, 1 March 2021. If you have changed your postal address, make sure you update your details now.
Benjamin Murray is the AEC Returning Officer who can be reached on (03) 9285 7129.
A candidate or member may inspect the roll of voters at the AEC Office. The CPSU will not provide membership lists to candidates. Please direct all roll queries to inspect the roll to the AEC.
For positions on the Governing Council (National Office, Section Secretary, Governing Councillor and Section President elected from a section with more than 2,000 members), 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 the AEC’s industrial elections candidate online form no later than 12:00 noon (AEDT) on Monday, 23 November 2020.
Where there is more than one nomination for a National Officer position or any position on Governing Council (Section Secretary, Governing Councillor and Section President elected from a section with more than 2,000 members), 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.
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 Monday, 23 November 2020 to elections@cpsu.org.au
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:
