Queensland Consolidated Acts

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTORAL ACT 2011 - SECT 183

183 Engaging in group campaign activities

(1) A person must not engage in a group campaign activity for an election, unless the activity relates to either—

(a) candidates who are members of the same group of candidates for the election; or

(b) candidates who are endorsed by the same registered political party for the election.

Penalty—

Maximum penalty—100 penalty units.

(2) A
"group campaign activity" is any of the following activities for an election campaign, if the activity is carried out in an intentionally coordinated way by or for 2 or more candidates for the election—

(a) using a common platform to promote the election of the candidates, including, for example, the same political policies;

(b) using any of the following in relation to the candidates—

(i) the same advertisements, including pamphlets, billboards and any other media;

(ii) the same campaign slogans;

(iii) the same brands or images;

(iv) the same how-to-vote cards;

(v) other election material that promotes the election of the candidates;

(c) participating in the same fundraising activities or events;

(d) sharing the same resources for election campaigns, including human resources (other than volunteers), between the candidates;

(e) giving or sharing gifts or loans between the candidates;

(f) another activity prescribed by regulation for this section.

Examples of group campaign activities—

• a person erecting electoral signs with the names or images of 2 or more candidates

• a candidate giving a donation to another candidate or group of candidates during a campaign

• a candidate gifting an amount of electoral expenditure incurred by the candidate to another candidate

• a candidate publishing a notice or letter on a website encouraging electors to vote for another candidate or group of candidates

(3) A proceeding for an offence against subsection (1) must be brought within 4 years after the commission of the offence.