Candidates announced for 2020 TSRA election

More than 50 candidates have been officially announced for the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) election being held on Saturday 28 November 2020.

The Returning Officer for the election, Mr David Stuart of the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), said each ward would elect one member to the TSRA board and 17 wards would be contested.

The 51 candidates for the election, which were officially declared yesterday, are:

Ward	Candidate Name (in ballot paper order)
Badu Island	1. WOSOMO, Ranetta
	2. TAMWOY, Charlotte
	3. AHMAT, Peo
	4. BAIRA, Horace
Bamaga	1. WILLIAMS, Reg
	2. YUSIA, Tailisa
Boigu Island	1. ANAU, Tanaio
	2. TOBY, Dimas Pinaith
Erub Island	1. GELA, Jimmy Joe
	2. MATYSEK, Bert Vaclav Michael
Hammond Island	1. TURNER, Regina
	2. DORANTE, Eugene
	3. DORANTE, Seriako (Seri)
Iama Island	1. LUI, Getano (Jnr)
	2. DAVID, Charles Albert
Kubin	1. SAVAGE, Danie
	2. MANAS, Louise
Mabuiag Island	1. FELL, Keith
	2. REPU, Cygnet
Mer Island	1. NOAH, Aven S.
	2. KAIGEY, Bob
Ngurapai and Muralag	1. LOBAN, Yen N.
	2.TOM, Enid
Port Kennedy	1. STEPHEN, Pedro
	2. AH WANG, Pauline M.
	3. PASSI, Del
	4. BINJUDA, Georgina
	5. DAVID, Frank
	6. KEENAN, Bernie
Poruma Island	1. PEARSON, Francis
	2. PEARSON, Nicholas
	3. FAUID, Frank
Saibai Island	1. ANIBA, Chelsea
	2. WARUSAM, Marcus Jamal
Seisia	1. SAM, Karyn
	2. MUDU, Sabrina
St Pauls	1. KRIS, John T.
	2. NEWIE, Michaelangelo
	3. PAIWAN, John David
TRAWQ	1. KETCHELL, Allan
	2. ABEDNEGO, John Stephen
	3. STEPHEN, Sereako
	4. SERIAT, Elsie
	5. MORSEU, Danny
	6. DAVID, Ned
	7. KRIS, Ella
Warraber Island	1. BILLY, Iris
	2. HARRY, Sylvia

Mr Stuart said no election would be required in the wards of Dauan Island, Masig Island and Ugar Island because only one candidate had nominated in each.

The uncontested wards and their candidates are:

Ward	Candidate
Dauan Island	MOOKA, Patrick
Masig Island	MOSBY, Hilda
Ugar Island	STEPHEN, Rocky Gabriel

Mr Stuart said that, to be eligible to vote in the wards where elections are being held, a voter must be:

• a Torres Strait Islander or an Aboriginal person
• 18 years of age or older on polling day
• on the electoral roll for an address in a ward by 13 November 2020.

“If you need to enrol for the first time – or if you recently moved to any of these wards and haven't yet updated your address – please complete an online enrolment form by the deadline of 5pm AEST on Friday 13 November," Mr Stuart said.”

“If you’re unable to vote at a polling booth on polling day, at an early voting centre or at a mobile polling booth, you can apply to have your ballot paper sent to you in the mail.

“Voter information sessions will be held in contested wards in early November, and a list of polling places will be published soon.

“The best place to find out everything you need to know about the elections is the dedicated TSRA page on the AEC website at https://www.aec.gov.au/elections/tsra/.”

Mr Stuart said the AEC would be implementing a number of measures to protect the health of community members and staff for the 28 November elections.

“The AEC has developed a COVID-19 Work Health and Safety Service Plan to oversee election delivery and ensure appropriate processes are in place so that all aspects of the elections – especially voting – are conducted in a safe way,” he said.

The TSRA Board consists of 20 elected members who are Torres Strait Islander or Aboriginal people living within a ward in the region, and the election is held every four years.