It's not surprising that the major parties try to make it difficult for Independents to contest local government elections successfully. It is, however, galling that they do so by claiming their actions will lead to higher standards of governance and integrity, when their own domination of so many local councils has resulted in gross mismanagement and corruption. Recent examples in Victoria and NSW illustrate the point. Election to a local council is too often a reward for low level party hacks.

At the moment, both state and federal governments use local government to deliver a range of services to their citizens. Funding for these services is usually inadequate and accountability usually thoughtlessly oppressive. Electors blame their local councils when the real fault lies higher up the scale of government.

In the end, given Richard's point that it is extremely difficult for electors to know anything much about the candidates for local government, I think we'd be better off without it. Why not stop the sanctimonious talk about 'local democracy', acknowledge that state and federal governments hold the real power and make local government areas administrative arms of the state government? Not a popular step, but one that might actually lead to higher standards of governance and integrity, not to mention better use of ratepayers' money.

The fact that this very important article has only generated one other comment says it all.

As a well qualified and widely experienced bureaucrat and long time Honorary Secretary of the Resident's Association that has prevented many unsavorary outcomes for the local area, the ability of a cashed up party hack means that a candidate such as myself has little or no chance on the forced sub-$2500 budget.

People do not know what is going on. In an adjoining Council area it took over an hour before someone realised the ballot papers being issued were not for the appropriate ward!!

As much as I cherish Local Government, and having run for Council at 5 elections, I agree that it should be scrapped as it is now just another way for the major parties - with the full support of the Electoral Commissioner - to extract public funds and transfer them to and for the benefit of these same parties.